Professor John Swales (1957)

John Malcolm Swales, 86, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at The University of Michigan, passed away peacefully in his home after an extended illness. The oldest of three children, John was born in Reigate, Surrey, England on November 5th, 1938. After completing preparatory studies at Lancing College, he was accepted to Queens' College Cambridge, where he received his B.Sc. in 1960 and his M.A. in 1964. John was awarded two honorary doctorates, the first from Uppsala University (Sweden, 2004) and the second from the University of Silesia (Poland, 2015).

After concluding his undergraduate work, and, uncertain as to the course his life might take, he accepted a two-year position in the English Department of the University of Bari in Italy. Thus began his career in the field of English language acquisition by non-native speakers.

John had a knack for recognizing opportunities and taking advantage of them to advance his career. His work at Bari led to similar positions in North Africa and Europe, culminating in his appointment as Professor of Linguistics and Director of the English Language Institute at The University of Michigan. A thoroughly committed scholar, he remained active in his field, continuing to write, teach, and travel well after his formal retirement in 2007.

John loved to write, and he was the author or co-author of 20 books and more than 100 scholarly articles, book chapters, and reviews. A gifted teacher, he usually found ways to pique his students’ interest. He was also an inspiring mentor to junior colleagues and his doctoral students.

John had a lively sense of humor and was an engaging raconteur of stories, of which he seemed to have an endless supply. He also welcomed colleagues who would often stop by just to share a glass of wine and “talk shop.”

John was well-known and respected for his birding and butterflying skills and for his enjoyment in teaching them to others. While he certainly pursued these activities for pleasure, he was also aware of the importance of systematically collecting data on fluctuations in the bird and butterfly populations in Washtenaw County.  This awareness was reflected in two books he co-authored, “The Birds of Washtenaw County,” and, most recently, “The Butterflies of Our Local Park.”

A man who believed in living life to the fullest, John did precisely that with his own. He will be remembered. He will be missed. 

John’s partner, Vi Benner, survives him, as do his sister, Ann Flack; his children, Claire, Harvey, and Kirby; and his four grandchildren, Maxime, Lucas, Arabella, and Margot.