Dear SoMAS friends and family:

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of a Stony Brook and SoMAS giant, Larry Swanson.  Larry is survived by his wife Dana, and two sons, Larry and Michael.

As a loving and devoted dog owner, Larry is also survived by his dog, Lily.

Larry completed his PhD in Oceanography at Oregon State University in 1971.  From 1973 – 1978, he worked at the Marine Ecosystems Analysis NY Bight Project, and from 1978 – 1983 was Director of the NOAA Office of Marine Pollution Assessment on Long Island. He was a commissioned officer at NOAA and rose to the ranks of Captain, and Commanding Officer of the NOAA Ship Researcher, from 1984 – 1986.  In 1986, he became Executive Director in the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.  Larry joined the Stony Brook University Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) in 1987, as Director of the Waste Reduction and Management Institute (WRMI).  His research interests have spanned coastal oceanography, coastal erosion processes, ocean acidification, and the impacts of human-derived waste and water pollution on coastal waterways.  He mentored many graduate students, including David Tonjes, Marci Bortman, Paula Rose, Christine O’Connell, Gail Murray, Gregg Cademartori, Emilie Cademartori, Nickitas Georgas, Andrea Grabman, Randall Young, Carly Haeussler, Robert Quinn, Paul Mucciarone, Stella Ross, Cassie Bauer, Christine Gurdon, and most recently, Kaitlin Willig Giglio.  Clearly some of their success is directly attributed to Larry’s mentoring during their days at SoMAS.

Throughout his long and distinguished SoMAS career, Larry served as Director of WRMI, which exists to reduce the impact of waste on Long Island environments through research, education, and policy development.  Larry was an avid supporter and member of the steering committee of the Evan R. Liblit Memorial Scholarship Fund, which recognizes and remembers the achievements in work on recycling and waste management on Long Island by Evan Liblit, through support of SoMAS graduate and undergraduate students.

Larry was an enthusiastic advocate for the Flax Pond Marine Lab, and was most recently heavily engaged in efforts to secure upgrades to that lab and building, to create a fully functioning shellfish hatchery.  Always a “captain” at heart, and as long-serving SoMAS Associate Dean for Facilities, Larry used his knowledge, understanding and concern for our vessel operations to manage challenges rather unique in a university setting.

In the past two years he was working in a leadership role on The NYS Governor’s Ocean Acidification Task Force, which is making great contributions to the state in the area of protecting coastal waterways and understanding human impacts.

Larry was Associate Dean in SoMAS from 2003 to the present, except for the period from 2016 – 2018 in which he also served as Interim Dean, serving SoMAS and the university admirably and energetically in both capacities.  Larry was the enthusiastic Master of Ceremonies for the 50th celebration of the SoMAS/MSRC, “The Risk of Saying Nothing.”

Among his honors and recognitions are receipt of the NOAA Corps Commendation Medal in 1987 and “Man of the Year for the Environment” award by the Three Village Community in 1998.

By far the most important thing to say about Larry is that he was a very kind, very good man, a true gentleman, who always had a positive attitude.  When we think of people solidly behind the phrase “Making Scientific Research Count,” we think of Larry.  He was widely loved, respected, and appreciated, and we will not be the same without him.  Our heartfelt condolences are extended from our SoMAS extended family, to the Swanson family, in this time of loss.

Details of services and remembrances will follow as they develop.

Please take care of yourselves, as Larry would want us to do.

Humbly,

Paul, for all of us