Andy Swan passed away on February 8, 2011 from lung cancer. He was 35 years old.
Like roughly 17,000 Americans diagnosed with the disease each year, Andy had never smoked.
"The doctors just put it down to bad luck," said his wife, Jennifer Swan.
Until the diagnosis in February 2010, Andy Swan's talent and hard work had added up to a lot of good luck.
He had won numerous awards for his work on short films and had been a property master on the set of the TV drama "Criminal Minds" since 2005.
"This guy's just a good guy," actor Shemar Moore, who plays Derek Morgan on the CBS show, told a reporter at a Lung Cancer Foundation benefit held on Swan's behalf in 2010. "He's got all the ideas, all this talent."
The son of Bob and Irene Swan, he was an Eagle Scout in Framingham Troop 12 and wanted to be a sportswriter when he grew up, his father said. As a child, "Andy always had to play" a sport, and he was "a huge Red Sox fan," as well an avid supporter of the Celtics and Patriots. When he moved to California, "He had to order a special (cable) package to get the sport from here."
Andy Swan graduated from Framingham High in 1993 and went to Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his degree in film and video with honors. He was so taken with Penn State that after touring the school, "He called his brother, who was at Georgia Tech, and said, 'You've got to come up here,' " Bob Swan said. Tim Swan took his younger brother's advice, and the two ended up as roommates for a while.
After graduation, Andy moved to California, where he met his wife, Jennifer, a native of South Africa, when they were neighbors in Playa Del Rey.
We liked the same things - watching TV, watching movies, going out to eat, drinking martinis," she said.
Andy proposed on Table Mountain in Cape Town during a trip to visit her family. "We had the dream wedding" in California in 2004, and had a son, Nicholas, who is 5.
As well as his job on "Criminal Minds," Andy received acclaim for his work on short films. At the Action On Film Festival, held in Pasadena, Calif., he received Best New Director honors in 2008 for "Alternative," and a Kenya Cagle Award for Best Drama; Best Director for a Short and Best Art Direction for his "Chambers Street" in 2009; and the Arthur Rosenfeld Award for Excellence in Dramatic Writing in 2010.
A documentary about him, "Swan ... One Man's Journey," featuring many "Criminal Minds" cast members, was shown at the Action On Film Festival in 2010.
"We had no idea how many friends he'd made in California," Irene Swan said. "He made friends from the top stars to the janitor" on the "Criminal Minds" set.
He also had one of his works entered in the Rochester Film Festival in 2009.
When the back pains started, Andy assumed it was probably work-related.
"His job was pretty strenuous," Jennifer Swan said.
By the end of that January, he had a severe twinge in his back, so the doctor ordered X-rays and a scan.
They were almost home "when the doctor called and said, could we come back?" That was February. And that's when they knew the diagnosis wasn't good – Andy was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer.
"We kept believing this was going to work, this was going to work, this was going to work, but it didn't," Jennifer said.
They moved back to Framingham in the summer of 2010 so he could be treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Andy fought bravely for 53 weeks before losing his life to lung cancer. He is survived by his wife, 5 year old son, parents, brother and sister-in-law.
***adapted from a Metrowest Daily News article
Like roughly 17,000 Americans diagnosed with the disease each year, Andy had never smoked.
"The doctors just put it down to bad luck," said his wife, Jennifer Swan.
Until the diagnosis in February 2010, Andy Swan's talent and hard work had added up to a lot of good luck.
He had won numerous awards for his work on short films and had been a property master on the set of the TV drama "Criminal Minds" since 2005.
"This guy's just a good guy," actor Shemar Moore, who plays Derek Morgan on the CBS show, told a reporter at a Lung Cancer Foundation benefit held on Swan's behalf in 2010. "He's got all the ideas, all this talent."
The son of Bob and Irene Swan, he was an Eagle Scout in Framingham Troop 12 and wanted to be a sportswriter when he grew up, his father said. As a child, "Andy always had to play" a sport, and he was "a huge Red Sox fan," as well an avid supporter of the Celtics and Patriots. When he moved to California, "He had to order a special (cable) package to get the sport from here."
Andy Swan graduated from Framingham High in 1993 and went to Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his degree in film and video with honors. He was so taken with Penn State that after touring the school, "He called his brother, who was at Georgia Tech, and said, 'You've got to come up here,' " Bob Swan said. Tim Swan took his younger brother's advice, and the two ended up as roommates for a while.
After graduation, Andy moved to California, where he met his wife, Jennifer, a native of South Africa, when they were neighbors in Playa Del Rey.
We liked the same things - watching TV, watching movies, going out to eat, drinking martinis," she said.
Andy proposed on Table Mountain in Cape Town during a trip to visit her family. "We had the dream wedding" in California in 2004, and had a son, Nicholas, who is 5.
As well as his job on "Criminal Minds," Andy received acclaim for his work on short films. At the Action On Film Festival, held in Pasadena, Calif., he received Best New Director honors in 2008 for "Alternative," and a Kenya Cagle Award for Best Drama; Best Director for a Short and Best Art Direction for his "Chambers Street" in 2009; and the Arthur Rosenfeld Award for Excellence in Dramatic Writing in 2010.
A documentary about him, "Swan ... One Man's Journey," featuring many "Criminal Minds" cast members, was shown at the Action On Film Festival in 2010.
"We had no idea how many friends he'd made in California," Irene Swan said. "He made friends from the top stars to the janitor" on the "Criminal Minds" set.
He also had one of his works entered in the Rochester Film Festival in 2009.
When the back pains started, Andy assumed it was probably work-related.
"His job was pretty strenuous," Jennifer Swan said.
By the end of that January, he had a severe twinge in his back, so the doctor ordered X-rays and a scan.
They were almost home "when the doctor called and said, could we come back?" That was February. And that's when they knew the diagnosis wasn't good – Andy was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer.
"We kept believing this was going to work, this was going to work, this was going to work, but it didn't," Jennifer said.
They moved back to Framingham in the summer of 2010 so he could be treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Andy fought bravely for 53 weeks before losing his life to lung cancer. He is survived by his wife, 5 year old son, parents, brother and sister-in-law.
***adapted from a Metrowest Daily News article
Click on Andy's photo to be taken to www.andysfightagainstcancer.blogspot.com