David William Swoboda

Dave Swoboda died peacefully on July 9th in Bozeman, MT, with family at his side after a brief battle with brain cancer. After losing his wife of over 50 years nine months ago to the same disease, he was ready to be reunited with her.

Dave was born in Billings, MT, in 1946 to Marjorie and Jerry Swoboda. He was blessed with four siblings in the ensuing years. Steve, Rose, Marc, and Jim were not only siblings, but lifelong friends. After graduating from Billings West High School in 1965, he attended Eastern Montana College for one year. With the Vietnam War in full swing, Dave and his high school friend Jerry Klein drove to Butte and enlisted in the US Army in 1966. He served as an avionics specialist in Pleiku, Vietnam while in the military. After honorable discharge from Fort Rucker, AL, in August of 1969, he returned to Billings where he eventually met the love of his life, Judy Metcalfe. They married in 1971, he graduated Eastern Montana College in 1974, and welcomed a son, Ben, to the world in 1978. Dave worked for the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Tractor and Equipment, and US Postal Service as a letter carrier. He retired from the post office after thirty years and started Red, White, and Blush Wines, a wine distribution company based in Billings. This was his true passion, and he enjoyed starting a business from scratch and building it into a successful enterprise.

Dave was a great dad and devoted husband. He was the epitome of a family man. He was a lifelong baseball fan and closely followed the Pittsburgh Pirates through their highs and lows throughout the years. When Ben was twelve years old, he took him to Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates play the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. This was a once in a lifetime trip and he was so happy to be there. He coached Ben’s Little League teams until he was thirteen. A lot of amazing memories were made during that time and Ben will always appreciate that he was so devoted to spending so much time with him. Dave was also an exceptional woodworker, creating many pieces of furniture that were painstakingly handcrafted. We are fortunate to have these as keepsakes to remind us of him.

Dave was always supportive, even as Ben reached young adulthood. One of his favorite memories from that time was driving to Reno, NV, to start college in the fall of 1997. It was a great road trip for them to connect and it was a comfort for Ben to have him there at such a major life event.

Once their nest was empty, Dave and Judy traveled with their good friends Jerry and Hazel Klein to Oahu, and with Steve and Carol Swoboda and their family to Portland and Prague. Dave was very proud of his Czechoslovakian heritage. Dave and Judy were an amazing pair, complementing each other perfectly in a marriage that lasted until her passing. They were also amazing grandparents, and their grandchildren have many fond memories of the times they spent with them.

Their dog Luka was Dave’s closest friend after Judy passed. Luka was the best companion and followed him from room to room, providing him with the support he needed in a very difficult time of his life. Alonah Stuart, who helped care for Judy in her last weeks continued to help him after mom passed. They developed a great relationship over the ensuing nine months and she was invaluable to him, providing not only help but companionship.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents Marjorie and Jerry Swoboda, Judy Swoboda, and Carol Swoboda, who was one of his favorite people on Earth.

Dave is survived by his brother Steve Swoboda, who he loved to spend time and travel with; Steve’s daughters Randi and Renee Swoboda, and their spouses Kyle and Brian; Rose Swoboda, who was the best sister he could have asked for; Marc Swoboda (Saint Marc) who was an amazingly helpful brother, stepping up to help him at the drop of a hat no matter the circumstances until Dave’s passing; Jeannine Swoboda and their children Bernadette, Adam, and Chad; youngest brother Jim who, despite a significant age difference, remained close to Dave throughout his life; son Ben, daughter-in-law Jessica, and grandsons Carson and Andrew.

Dave, we all love you so much and cherish the time we had to spend with you. You will be greatly missed.

We would also like to thank the extremely dedicated staff of Compassus Hospice who provided excellent care to Dave in his final chapter of life. Very special thanks to Pattie at Compassus who worked tirelessly during his last few days to coordinate his care, and provided a very comforting shoulder to lean on during that time.

A celebration of life is planned to honor Dave, date to be determined.