Richard Alan Swirnow, a prominent local real estate developer, philanthropist and chairman of the Harborview Properties Development Co.., passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 1. The Baltimore resident was 91.
Besides HarborView Towers, Swirnow was the developer of Pier Homes and the Marina & Yacht Club. He was considered the key developer of the transformation of the former Bethlehem Steel Shipyard compound into the HarborView Marina & Yacht Club development.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Swirnow was remembered as a hardworking and ambitious individual.
“All of his life, he was an industrious, intelligent hardworking man,” his family wrote on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros. “Even as a boy growing up in Brooklyn, NY, the owner of the corner drug store, recognized his industrious nature. Very quickly he was tapped to deliver the pharmacy orders around the neighborhood. Later, when away at college he sold pots and pans door to door to supplement his full academic scholarship in the School of Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. Somehow this transformed into his great success as a college kid selling residential real estate.”
During his long professional career, Swirnow developed several residential communities in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, in addition to his commercial real estate projects. He was also involved in the national freight and airlines industries, health care, banking, manufacturing and building products markets.
Among the organizations supported by Swirnow were The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, Easter Seals, the Maryland Science Center, the University of Maryland Medical System, and the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital.
He was also the founder of Adopt a Turkey, an annual event providing 70,000 pounds of Thanksgiving dinners to the less fortunate around Baltimore.
In 2008, Swirnow was honored with the “Real Estate Industry Leadership Award” by Chabad at Johns Hopkins.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Rae Swirnow (nee Masry); his children, Judith Swirnow Dack, David E. (Beth Schaeffer) Swirnow and Amy (Jeffrey) Schapiro; and his grandchildren, Rachel Dack (Jon) Davis and their children Ella Rae and Aiden, Jamie Dack (Connor DeSha) and their children August and Louise, Michael Swirnow, Mollie Lowenstein (Michael) Crowther, Jennifer Swirnow, Maxx (Audry) Lowenstein and their child Brooks, Lindsey (Josh) Rubens and their children Sloane and Bari, Courtney (Jon) Sider and their children Stanley and Leni, and Evan (Jenna) Schapiro and their children Hayden and Graham.
He was predeceased by his parents, Irving Swirnow and B. Roberta Levy and brother, Donald Swirnow.
Services for Richard Swirnow are private. Contributions in his memory may be sent to Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, 3100 Wyman Park Drive, 4th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21211, or Pearlstone, 5425 Mount. Gilead Road, Reisterstown, Maryland 21136.
The family will receive guests tonight, Oct. 3, from 4-6 p.m. at 100 Harborview Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, in the lobby lounge.
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