Former Edison Executive Swenerton Dies

Newport Beach resident Henry K. Swenerton, a retired Southern California Edison executive who was well-known for his involvement in church and community activities, has died. He was 81.

Swenerton had served as an elder at La Canada Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. He also had been on the boards of La Canada Unified School District, the Los Angeles Area Boy Scouts of America and was vice president of the founding board of Junior Achievement of Los Angeles.

Swenerton graduated from Occidental College in 1939 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science. He did graduate work at UC Berkeley, CalTech, UCLA and the Claremont Graduate School.

He worked at General Dynamics in San Diego as director of labor relations and director of wage and salary administration; and at Gladding, McBean and Co. in Los Angeles, where he was vice president and general manager. In 1963, he joined Southern California Edison in Rosemead, where he worked as manager of executive development and manager of the department on organization until his retirement in 1981.

Swenerton died April 29. Services were held May 2 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach.

Swenerton is survived by his wife of 56 years, Eloise; and four sons and their families: Stephen and his wife, Pamela; Jeffrey and his wife, Carolyn; Jim and his wife, Debbie; John and his wife, Lisa; and six grandchildren.