Coleman “Dal” Swart: A Life of Service and Dedication

The Honorable Coleman “Dal” Swart, a respected figure in the legal community and a dedicated member of his local community in South Pasadena and Pasadena, has passed away at his home. He was 84. 

Born on June 29, 1939, in Los Angeles, to Harry and Esther Swart (née Coleman), Dal Swart spent his childhood in San Marino in a house built by his parents. He attended Stoneman Elementary School and Huntington Middle School, and was an enthusiastic Boy Scout, earning the rank of Eagle Scout with Bronze Palm.

In 1957, Swart graduated from San Marino High School, where he was a member of the debate team, varsity football and tennis teams, and served as president of the San Marino High Prometheans Honor Society. He spent his summers volunteering at YMCA Camp Orizaba on Catalina Island, reaching the level of Red Ranger.

Swart earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Occidental College, where he was an active member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He was a proud participant on the Oxy football team, playing center and middle linebacker. He later returned to Oxy as a member of the Board of Governors, receiving the Alumni Seal Award in 2001 and emceeing his 50th college reunion in 2011.

In 1961, Swart joined the United States Navy, graduating from Officer’s Candidate School with honors and commissioning as an Ensign. He attended Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, finishing third in a class of 90. He was on active duty for five years, from 1961 to 1966, where he worked aboard the USS Topeka (CLG 8) and the NWS Concord and managed a missile production plant. A member of the Naval Reserve for 17 years, he retired with the rank of Commander.

While in the Navy, Swart attended Golden Gate University School of Law by night, earning a Juris Doctor degree in 1967. He worked as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County from 1967 to 1982, where he prosecuted over 200 jury trials, including 30 murder cases.

In 1982, Swart was elected to the position of judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court. During his 26-year tenure, he presided over various litigation areas, including criminal, civil, and probate. He was chairman of the LASC Personnel and Budget Committee and was a member of the LASC Executive Committee and Trial Courts Budget Commission for the State of California. Swart served as the Supervising Judge of the Northeast and North Central Districts for six years. In 2001, he was awarded “Judge of the Year” by the Pasadena Bar Association.

In 2009, he was appointed by California Chief Justice Ron George to work as an Assigned Judge for LASC, which he did for two years. Never officially “retired,” he stayed active in the legal community by providing dispute resolution services as an Arbitrator and Mediator for Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS), Inc. from 2011 to 2023.

Swart was also active in his community, attending Holy Family Church, serving as a member and past president of the Pasadena Optimist and Pasadena University Clubs, Chairman of the Pasadena YMCA (Downtown Branch), and a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. An avid golfer, he enjoyed his membership at San Gabriel Country Club, where he served as the Rules Chairman for the Cravens Nationwide Invitational Golf Tournament for 15 years.

Dal Swart is survived by his wife, Caroline Kelley Swart, children Douglas (Robyn) Swart and Melissa Swart Reisbeck; stepchildren Katherine (Richard) An and Claire Krystkiewicz; and grandchildren Matthew and Brendan Swart. 

In lieu of flowers, friends are advised to send memorial donations to Optimist Homes and Family Services in Los Angeles.