William Swan obit

William H. Swan, 90, of Monterey, stage and screen actor

Bill lived the life of his dreams and he always expressed gratitude for that. He will always be remembered as the ultimate gentleman and an icon of class and style.

 He was not on the list.

It is with great sadness that our family says good-bye to a beloved brother and uncle. William (Bill) Swan, 90, of Monterey, Massachusetts, passed away on January 20, 2019 in Lee, Massachusetts.

Bill was born on February 6, 1928 in Amherst, N.Y. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Irene Hall Swan, and his life partner of almost 40 years, Richard D. Dunlap. Surviving are his sister, Barbara Dominski of Encinitas, Calif., neice Debra Dominski of Encinitas, Calif., and Jeffrey Dominski of Idaho.

Bill, like most of his generation, joined the Army immediately upon graduation from high school. He served the occupation troops in Italy at the conclusion of World War II. He was honorably discharged at the completion of his service.

Bill immediately headed to California and pursued an acting career. Soon after, in 1952, he became a member of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He remained a member for 67 years. Bill was able to continue acting and auditioning for parts into his early 80’s.

His body of work encompasses 60 years of roles on stage, film and television. He performed in four off-Broadway productions and playhouses throughout the country, too numerous to count. Bill had leading roles in over 100 productions including “The Cocktail House,” “What the Butler Saw,” “California Suite,” “Night of the Iguana,” and “Blithe Spirit.”

He performed at the Berkshire Playhouse more than any other performer. He began performing in their summer stock productions as a very young man. Bill’s beloved Berkshire Playhouse is the reason he relocated to Monterey, Massachusetts, in 1981.

Bill starred in “Lady in the Cage” with Olivia De Havilland, with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. He was featured in the films “Winter of Frozen Dreams,” “The Parallax View,” “Hotel,” and “The Horizontal Lieutenant.” Bill guest starred in over 200 television series from the 1950s through 20009. All of the top-rated KTV shows of their time featured Bill Swan. He had roles in “The Twilight Zone,” “Streets of San Francisco,” “Quincy,” “Perry Mason,” “Rockford Files,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Men of Annapolis,” “Father Knows Best,” “12 O’Clock High,” “Cannon,” and dozens more. Bill was a continuing character in the series “All My Children,” “The Young and the Restless,” “As the World Turns,” and “Dr. Kildare.”

Bill lived the life of his dreams and he always expressed gratitude for that. He not only loved the acting, but the adventures and travels it provided and the people it brought into his life. No one could tell a story the way he did and he had plenty of them to tell. He will always be remembered as the ultimate gentleman and an icon of class and style.

 

Condolences may be made through Birches Roy Funeral Services.

Actor

Winter of Frozen Dreams (2009)

Winter of Frozen Dreams

4.6

Judge

2009

 

Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Rebecca Budig, Cameron Mathison, and Darnell Williams in All My Children (1970)

All My Children

6.8

TV Series

Walter Hines

1984–1992

23 episodes

 

Guiding Light (1952)

Guiding Light

6.5

TV Series

Banker

1990

1 episode

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

Dr. Sharp

1977

1 episode

 

Jo Ann Harris, Shelly Novack, and Robert Stack in Most Wanted (1976)

Most Wanted

6.9

TV Series

Dean Leonard

1977

1 episode

 

The Parallax View (1974)

The Parallax View

7.1

Herbert Moon

1974

 

The F.B.I. (1965)

The F.B.I.

7.4

TV Series

Ship's Purser

Scott Dunlap

Glen Powell ...

1965–1974

4 episodes

 

Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force (1973)

Magnum Force

7.2

Doorman (uncredited)

1973

 

Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

Car leasing officer

1973

1 episode

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

Hotel Receptionist

1973

1 episode

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

The Streets of San Francisco

7.3

TV Series

Larry Pyle

1972

1 episode

 

The Felony Squad (1966)

The Felony Squad

7.5

TV Series

Harry Walker

1967

1 episode

 

Hotel (1967)

Hotel

6.6

Young Desk Clerk (uncredited)

1967

 

Dr. Kildare (1961)

Dr. Kildare

7.0

TV Series

Young Doctor

Dr. David Coburn

Dr. David Cahurn

1961–1966

3 episodes

 

12 O'Clock High (1964)

12 O'Clock High

8.1

TV Series

Lieutenant

1965

1 episode

 

Lady in a Cage (1964)

Lady in a Cage

6.7

Malcolm Hilyard

1964

 

James Franciscus in Mr. Novak (1963)

Mr. Novak

7.5

TV Series

Father Serui

1964

1 episode

 

Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (1959)

The Twilight Zone

9.1

TV Series

Technician

1964

1 episode

 

Angela Lansbury and Tuesday Weld in The Eleventh Hour (1962)

The Eleventh Hour

7.8

TV Series

Airline Clerk

1962

1 episode

 

Leslie Nielsen, John Beradino, John Clarke, and Greg Roman in The New Breed (1961)

The New Breed

7.8

TV Series

Vincent Gladstone

1961

1 episode

 

One Step Beyond (1959)

One Step Beyond

7.8

TV Series

Lenny

1960

1 episode

 

Johnny Midnight (1960)

Johnny Midnight

7.9

TV Series

Paul

Miles Donovan

1960

2 episodes

 

Philip Carey in Philip Marlowe (1959)

Philip Marlowe

7.3

TV Series

Andy Sinclair

1959

1 episode

 

James Gregory in The Lawless Years (1959)

The Lawless Years

7.4

TV Series

Interne

1959

1 episode

 

Tristram Coffin in 26 Men (1957)

26 Men

7.4

TV Series

Denver

Les Harrison

1959

2 episodes

 

Alcoa Theatre (1957)

Alcoa Theatre

7.4

TV Series

Jim Miller

1959

1 episode

 

Lang Jeffries in Rescue 8 (1958)

Rescue 8

8.0

TV Series

Pete Wilson

1959

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Bill Shayne

Michael Garvin Jr.

1958–1959

2 episodes

 

Father Knows Best (1954)

Father Knows Best

7.4

TV Series

Clerk

1959

1 episode

 

Flight (1958)

Flight

8.5

TV Series

1958–1959

1 episode

 

Rod Cameron in State Trooper (1956)

State Trooper

7.8

TV Series

Joe Landers

1958

1 episode

 

Wendell Corey in Harbor Command (1957)

Harbor Command

7.7

TV Series

Lieutenant (as Bill Swan)

1958

1 episode

 

David Janssen in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1956)

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

7.8

TV Series

Jerry Fenton

1958

1 episode

 

How to Marry a Millionaire (1957)

How to Marry a Millionaire

8.0

TV Series

Paul Winthrop

1958

1 episode

 

Mike Hammer (1958)

Mike Hammer

8.0

TV Series

Johnny Allen

1958

1 episode

 

Have Gun - Will Travel (1957)

Have Gun - Will Travel

8.4

TV Series

Tracey Calvert

1958

1 episode

 

Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in Bombers B-52 (1957)

Bombers B-52

5.9

Crewman in Korea (uncredited)

1957

 

Barbara Darrow in The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

The Monster That Challenged the World

5.7

Seaman Howard Sanders (uncredited)

1957

 

Crossroads (1955)

Crossroads

7.6

TV Series

Nelson Reynolds

1957

1 episode

 

Howard Duff and Ida Lupino in Mr. Adams and Eve (1957)

Mr. Adams and Eve

8.0

TV Series

Dick Halberd

1957

1 episode

 

Dick Powell in Zane Grey Theatre (1956)

Zane Grey Theatre

7.5

TV Series

Union Lt. Grimes

1957

1 episode

 

Preston Foster in Cavalcade of America (1952)

Cavalcade of America

8.2

TV Series

Steve Marlowe

TV Director

1956–1957

2 episodes

 

The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna (1956)

The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna

7.9

TV Series

Bob

1956

1 episode

 

Hal Baylor, Hans Conried, and Chuck Hicks in Schlitz Playhouse (1951)

Schlitz Playhouse

7.7

TV Series

1956

1 episode

 

Four Star Playhouse (1952)

Four Star Playhouse

7.6

TV Series

Arthur O'Brien

Clint

1956

2 episodes

 

Lux Video Theatre (1950)

Lux Video Theatre

7.5

TV Series

Robert

1956

1 episode

 

Producers' Showcase (1954)

Producers' Showcase

7.3

TV Series

Harry McKee

1956

1 episode

 

The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955)

The 20th Century-Fox Hour

7.2

TV Series

Co-pilot

1956

1 episode

 

Robert Shayne in Navy Log (1955)

Navy Log

8.0

TV Series

Lieutenant Appleton

1956

1 episode