Sedona has lost one its founding fathers. Charles “ Chuck ” Swartwout, who served four years on the first elected Sedona City Council and another two years as vice mayor, died Aug. 29, at his home in Sedona at age 98.
“Although I had not seen Chuck for many years, I remember him well for his service to the community, especially on the first elected City Council,” Mayor Sandy Moriarty said. Moriarty served as a councilwoman on the interim council after incorporation before Swartwout’s first elected council.
“I admired him greatly, and he will be sorely missed,” Moriarty said. “He always made thoughtful, intelligent decisions and was a strong critical thinker. He was very even-tempered and a role model for civil discourse, and always did what was, in his very good judgment, what was best for the entire community.”
Marie Brown was the city of Sedona’s first city clerk and first employee hired after incorporation in 1988 and served with Swartwout.
“On the night of the first council election when we were counting the votes, we were all surprised when Chuck won since his name wasn’t even on the ballot. He won as a write-in candidate,” said Brown, who retired as director of community services in 2007. “As a council member and vice mayor he always looked at both sides of an issue before making his decision.”
“I will always remember him as a kind, caring friend,” Brown said. “Chuck was one of the city of Sedona’s original guardians and stewards, said John O’Brien, the former director of community development who worked for the city for 24 years before retiring in 2012. “He was a great guy who put his heart, mind and soul into everything he did. He was a very caring person and a steady hand on the City Council during Sedona’s very early days as an incorporated city. Chuck was very service-oriented and driven to help and support our fledgling city, and lend his knowledge and intellect toward that cause.”
Outside Sedona, Swartwout is perhaps best known in Arizona for producing the world record-holder for longest running TV commercial, a short 15-second television spot for Discount Tire. Shot in 1975 and airing for the first time in 1976, a little old lady “returns” a tire to the company by throwing it through a plate-glass window. The commercial still airs on Arizona television after 43 years, setting a Guinness World Record in 2002.
Born in Cleveland, Swartwout earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1942 from Case School of Engineering, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He was later hired at the Radiation Lab at MIT where he was in charge of flight testing a radar system designed for the Northrop P-61 “Black Widow” night fighter plane. Afterward, he stayed on at MIT and received his master’s degree in electrical engineering. In 1952, he married Gretchen Beattie of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The couple were together for 54 years until her death in 2006.
Swartwout and his brother, Ken, owned and operated Swartwout Productions, the first developer of an all-electronic control system for oil refineries and chemical processing plants. After five years, he went to work for Motorola in Scottsdale.
Swartwout Productions began producing TV commercials and films, including “The Miracle of Kathy Miller” with Helen Hunt in 1981 and “Sedona: The Spirit of Wonder” in 1998 and working with Jimmy Stewart, Dick Van Dyke, Kirk Douglas and Lowell Thomas. Swartwout won many awards for ads and films.
Swartwout retired in 1983 and the couple moved to Sedona, where he helped to usher the city through the incorporation process. Swartwout also served as vice chairman of the Sedona Forum, a community think tank addressing local issues.
After Gretchen died in 2006, Swartwout decided there had to be more to life than the time spent on earth. He took a three-year analytical look at the afterlife. Using his training in the scientific method, Swartwout researched and published “You Don’t Die, You Just Change Channels!” which he described as a “common sense” approach to prove the existence of an afterlife. It won in the Spirituality category in the Great Southwest Book Festival in April 2016. Swartwout was also a musician and composer. He studied piano, pipe organ, saxophone, music composition and singing. He was active at the Church of the Red Rocks and sang in their choir.
Swartwout is survived by his children: David Swartwout, Kay Poukey, Bill Swartwout and Martha Stehlik; grandchildren Andy and Brian Swartwout, Grace and Claire Poukey, Matt and Alison Swartwout, and Alivia, Roxanne, Danny, Penny and Isaac Stehlik; and his great-grandchildren, Jackson and Zeke Stehlik.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, Oct. 6, at 1 p.m. at the Church of the Red Rocks, 54 Bowstring Drive. The family suggests donating in his honor to their favorite charity that spreads love, cares for people or makes the world a better place.
Christopher Fox Graham can be reached at 282-7795 ext 129 or by email at editor@larsonnewspapers.com
