Former St. Charles fire chief dies at 63

Former St. Charles Fire Chief Larry Swanson, who oversaw the openings of two fire stations in his 21-year tenure as chief, died Monday of a massive heart attack, officials said. He was 63.

"He served his community well for 30 years, and was just an outstanding public servant," Mayor Don DeWitte said. "There are a lot of heavy hearts in the department today."

Swanson suffered the heart attack Monday morning at his home and died a short time later, the mayor said.

He joined the fire department in 1972 and was promoted to chief in 1981. DeWitte said Swanson retired in 2002, but had since remained active with the city's fire pension board.

He credited Swanson for the creation of the Tri-City Ambulance cooperative, which serves Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and surrounding townships.

Swanson also oversaw the openings of two fire stations on both the far west and east ends of the city during his tenure as chief, DeWitte said.

"He was a detail-oriented administrator, and a well-respected superior. A lot of the guys on the department today probably were hired by Larry Swanson and trained by Larry Swanson," DeWitte said.

Funeral arrangements were pending at Norris Funeral Home in St. Charles.