Celebrating the life of Hadassah "Dassa" A. Swenson
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Obituary for Hadassah "Dassa" A. Swenson
Hadassah “Dassa” A. Swenson March 22, 1910 – Feb. 17, 2011 Hadassah A. Swenson, of Brookings, passed away on Feb. 17, 2011 in Crescent City, CA. She was 100. Named after her paternal grandmother, Hadassah was born March 22, 1910 in Los Gatos, CA to George and Olga (Behrens) Withey. She was raised in Los Gatos, graduating from Los Gatos High School. Dassa, as friends and family knew her, worked at PG&E as a secretary in San Jose. She met her husband there and, on June 23, 1935, they married. Dassa then stayed home to raise their two children. She was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church there. She also loved to play golf and was a member of the San Jose Country Club. Dassa was active in the Eastern Star as well. She had a great sense of humor and enjoyed music (she played the ukulele and piano), trips with her grandchildren and oil painting. While living in San Jose, Dassa volunteered as a driver for the elderly and continued that until she was 93. In 2002, Dassa moved to Brookings, OR to be near her daughter. While in Brookings, she attended the Brookings Presbyterian Church and was a member of the South Coast Chapter of the Council of the Blind. Survivors include her daughter, Joanne Massa and her husband, Michael of Brookings, son, Carl Swenson of Los Gatos, CA, grandchildren, Geoffrey, Willard and Elizabeth, great grandchildren, Brittany, Michael, William, Andrew and Kristina. Dassa was preceded in death by her husband, Willard in 1960 and a grandson, William Carl Massa in 1987. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brookings Presbyterian Church, 540 Pacific Ave., Brookings, OR 97415, the William Massa Memorial Trust Fund, c/o Joanne Massa, 1408 View Ct., Brookings, OR 97415 or to Guide Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 3950, San Rafael, CA 94912-3950. A funeral service was held at Brookings Presbyterian Church in Brookings, OR. A graveside service will be held on Friday, February 25, 2011 at 11:00am at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 300 Curtner Ave. in San Jose, CA where Dassa will be laid to rest.
