Svend Esborg

Svend Esborg passed away peacefully and naturally at the age of 91 on December 28, 2018 while napping at Atria Manresa, an Assisted Living Community in Annapolis, MD, where he had resided for almost two years.  Svend enjoyed a memorable Christmas season attending church on Christmas Eve and visiting with family and friends until the evening prior to his passing. 

Born April 18, 1927 in Copenhagen, Denmark to Johannes and Karen Esborg, Svend is survived by his three loving children, Julia (Richard Snow) of VA, Kara Lynn of CA, and Erik (Rebecca Tucker) of CO and dear grandchildren, Daniel and Clara Snow of VA and Anneka Esborg of CO.  His beloved wife of 49 years, Dr. Pat Esborg, died eight years prior at age 72.  Svend also leaves behind his close family in Denmark, cherished loved ones and many lifelong friends, and those who recently came to know him at Atria Manresa, especially Joy, his devoted attendant.  

Fondly known as “The Great Dane,” Svend spent his early childhood years in Viborg, a town in the country along the west coast of Denmark.  A special memory of his as a young boy was climbing the steps to the top of the church steeple early evenings to ring the bell by pulling up and down on the ropes.  His family returned to Copenhagen when WWII began.  Under the German Occupation from 1940-1945, Svend assumed the duties of an air warden as a young teenager, riding on his bicycle to warn people to get inside and black out their windows. 

Svend’s exciting life continued when he emigrated at the age of 21 from Denmark to San Francisco, CA arriving in 1948 after waiting more than two years for his visa.  Prior to becoming a U.S. Citizen, Svend joined the Air Force. Later that same year, he was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany in the Intelligence Service and participated in the Berlin Airlift.  Upon his return, Svend studied at the University of California at Berkeley and earned a B.A. in Scandinavian Literature.

While stationed in Mobile, AL from 1952 to 1954, and after waiting the mandated five years, plus taking many classes on U.S. history and civics and passing a citizenship test, Svend finally took the Oath of Allegiance and was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen!  It was a very proud and meaningful day for him; his family always thought him to be more patriotic and appreciative of his new homeland compared to many U.S. born citizens. 

Svend was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant after only 14 years and ultimately served for more than 35 years.  Following the marriage to his wife Pat in 1962, a California native whom he had met in Berkeley, Svend and Pat, with their two young daughters, moved to Anchorage, AK, where the family was stationed from 1964 to 1968.  He was on the Inspector General Team which made frequent flights to inspect 22 radar sites on the outskirts of Alaska established to protect the U.S. from the Russians during the Cold War.  A frightening moment was landing on an ice cap during 50 mile per hour winds to deliver equipment to an underground radar station.  While in Alaska, he and Pat took a belated honeymoon trip to Japan on a military “space available” flight.  Svend also enjoyed participating on the ski team and joined the photography club, which earned him several prizes and kindled his love of taking photos throughout his entire life.   

In 1968, he was assigned to Suitland, MD with the Air Force Data Systems Design Center.  His family made their home in Bowie, MD, and his son was born during this time at the Naval Academy Hospital.  In 1971, Svend was sent to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam and was the Chief Master Sergeant overseeing 5,000 troops.  Although it was risky, a special memory of his was driving in a jeep to the watchtowers to wish his men a Merry Christmas; he was missing his family and knew they were missing their families as well.  Svend was awarded two Meritorious Service Medals, the Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Medal of Valor, for his service in the Vietnam War. 

Upon his return from Vietnam, from 1972 to 1973, Svend was assigned to the POW-MIA Task Force at the Pentagon, and with six other team members safely brought home 2,100 American prisoners out of Hanoi, Vietnam, one of whom was the late Senator John McCain.  For his role on the Task Force, Svend earned the Joint Service Commendation Medal, another Meritorious Service Medal.  His family only recently was reminded of these awards and many others since Svend was a very humble man who did not boast about his military highlights and accomplishments; he was just doing his duty for his country. 

In 1974, Svend was stationed at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) and moved his family to Belgium for the next six years.  His first assignment was with Live Oak, a select planning group within NATO to ensure communications to and from West Berlin.  His second assignment was in charge of the classified message center to keep safe the Commanding Officer, General Alexander Haig.  While overseas, Svend earned his MBA from Boston University, and at a ceremony in a cathedral in Heidelberg, Germany was granted his diploma.  Each summer, Svend and his family spent three weeks in a seaside village in Denmark visiting his mother, family and other relatives.  Many remember Svend for the Danish traditions he shared, such as lighting live candles on the Christmas tree and wearing an elf - or in Danish, “nisse” outfit - on Christmas morning.  He and his family also enjoyed visiting numerous other European countries while stationed overseas.

In 1980, Svend and his family moved back to Bowie, MD when he was reassigned to the Pentagon and worked for the U.S. Headquarters Engineering and Services until 1985.  Following his Air Force retirement in 1985, Svend had a second career for more than 20 years working in the Chancellor’s Building at the University of MD as the Manager of Facilities Operations, fully retiring at age 84.  He enjoyed the many aspects of his civilian job, the people he worked with, and would fondly reminisce about decorating the Chancellor’s Building at Christmas (his favorite holiday).  Svend also became a member of the Danish Club of Washington, D.C. and proudly assisted with the Annual Danish Christmas Bazaar. 

Throughout his marriage with Pat, the two of them enjoyed traveling together, particularly to visit their daughter in San Francisco, passing along the memories Svend had dating back to 1948; to Colorado to visit their son and his family, watching their granddaughter dance; and to Virginia to visit their other daughter and her family in their country surroundings on the water.  They also frequented the Southwest where they both fell in love with the Sedona, AZ area.  This moved them to take a keen interest in the welfare of Native Americans after exploring the various sites and canyons. 

They also shared a passion for classical music and the arts and were frequent attendees of concerts given by the Ensemble Galilei in Annapolis, MD and Garth Newel Music Center in Warm Springs, VA.  Svend’s other interests included stamp and book collecting, gardening and nature.  Beginning in 1969 until 2016, he and his family have many cherished memories visiting the Outer Banks, NC, which continue on in the lives of his children and grandchildren who love the ocean.  Svend would share stories and laughs on the beach in the late afternoon sun, while watching his three grandchildren ride the waves until dinnertime, oftentimes joining in on the fun. 

Svend continued traveling the world into his late eighties.  He loved to cruise and always took advantage of the many shore excursions, from visiting waterfalls to climbing up steep castle steps in order to get the best photo shot.  Svend was a Mariner Society Member with Holland America which sailed him to the Mediterranean (with Pat), to the Baltic Sea (with Pat, his brother and sister-in-law), Mexico (with his family after the passing of Pat), Hawaii (with his grandson), the Caribbean (with his son), the South Pacific, and the Norwegian Fjords.  A lover of adventure, Svend also went on a Clipper Ship sailing trip to New England and Canada, as well as a river cruise on the Danube to the Black Sea.  Unaccompanied at the age of 88, Svend took a train from Maryland to New York City to board Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, sailed across the Atlantic to Hamburg, Germany and then took a train to Copenhagen to enjoy his annual visit with his Danish family. Remarkably, all five siblings, with Svend being the proud oldest, were able to gather together for a memorable reunion.

During the past two years, Svend would sit on the veranda at Atria Manresa overlooking the serene Severn River feeling like he was on a cruise ship that did not leave port, partaking in the various social activities, especially dancing which he always loved, enjoying the outings around Annapolis, and making new friends, all for which his family is very grateful. 

Svend had an amazing sense of positivity, conviction, optimism and humor about him. In short, he lived and loved his life to the fullest with happiness until the end.  Svend’s smile and zest for life remain an inspiration to all.   

A graveside service with military funeral honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery later in the year, with a gathering of family and friends to follow.  Please visit www.beallfuneral.com to stay informed regarding Svend’s and Pat’s pending inurnment. 

If you would like to make a donation in Svend’s memory, the family would like to suggest you choose one of his favorite charities (or one of your own) that supports children, Native Americans, nature, the military, or music. 

He was a sponsor of a Bangladesh child for many years through Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org .  

He also donated to the Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org ; Disabled American Veterans http://www.dav.org ; and The Air Force Memorial (Svend was invited to its dedication ceremony)  https://www.afdw.af.mil/afmemorial/  .  

Locally, Svend was a longtime supporter of classical music through Ensemble Galilei  http://www.egmusic.com/ and Garth Newel Music Center http://www.garthnewel.org/.  

May we all cherish the spirit of The Great Dane!