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Today's Featured Biography

William Swantner

After graduating Jefferson on 1973, I attended the University of Houston (main campus) to study music. In 1974 my father died so I transferred to the University of Texas at Austin so that I could be closer to home. During college I played in the San Antonio Toro band with Ditto Sturchio and some other Jeff kids; the names escapes me now. While at UT, I played trumpet in the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, every musical on campus, various brass groups around Austin, and a time or two with the Austin Symphony. I graduated UT in 1977 and began my career as a band director in rural Bexar County. In 1978 I married Cheryl Palafox (class of ’75). Around 1980 I began work on my Master of Music degree at UTSA, finally completing it in 1986. After my work in rural Bexar County, I was a band director in the inner city of San Antonio, and then back out to the country, being a band director in Bandera. After three years in Bandera I became a band director in Northside ISD. While in Northside, Cheryl and I had two children: Albert and Tiffanie
In 1988 I decided I wanted to go to seminary so I began my seminary education at St. Mary’s University, eventually transferring to the Lutheran Seminary Program in Austin. In 1994 I received a Master’s in Arts in Biblical Theology from St. Mary’s and a Master in Divinity from the Austin program.
In 1994 I began serving as pastor to Hope Lutheran Church, where I’ve been since. In addition to being the pastor at Hope, I’ve travelled throughout south Texas as a consultant from the Bishop’s office to congregations facing, or in the midst of, conflict.
When Albert graduated from Marshall H.S., I started training for triathlons, to deal with this significant change in life. When Tiffanie graduated from Marshall two years later, I started doing triathlons. (I don’t do as many triathlons anymore because getting up at 4:30 AM on Saturday mornings, eating breakfast, and putting on Spandex are less attractive than lying in bed and listening to jazz on KSLR.) Albert graduated from UT with his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and then his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering; Tiffanie graduated from UT with her degree in Education.
A couple of years back I started playing TAPS for funerals at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. In 2011 I was invited to play TAPS at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. I’ve been invited back to Arlington this November to participate in one of the various commemorations that will be taking place, commemorating the assassination and funeral of Pres. Kennedy.
With our incredible kids grown and married, Cheryl and I live a wonderful life in northwest San Antonio. The kids are doing well, Cheryl and I have a great marriage, and I‘ve got the best job ever. My time in seminary helped me to begin finding answers to the questions I had about life; being a pastor has allowed me to better understand the questions I was asking. As a pastor I share life with some incredible people. I wrote this extended biography because I don’t know that I can be at the 40th reunion, but you’ll be in my thoughts. Thank you for our time together at Jeff and I wish all of you the best in life.

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