Legendary Viroqua coach Peder 'Pete' Swanson passes away at 75

With his favorite pop, Sun Drop and the number 26 displayed behind home plate, the feeling around the Park Bowl in Viroqua wasn't the same today.

A man who devoted so much of his time to the sport of baseball in town, Peder 'Pete' Swanson passed away Tuesday unexpectedly.

For nearly 50 years he was the head coach for the Legion team, and he led the high school team for more than 30.

Pete logged over 1,800 wins over his illustrious career. He won five Legion state titles, made 15 title games at state and is part of the state Legion Hall of Fame.

"I guess he was almost like a legend to us. But being around him all the time he never gave you that air that he was better than any other coach around the area. Generally speaking, Pete Swanson was a down to earth, common person and even though he had a lot of wins, he never walked around town and bragged about every win," said Gary Gilbertson, sports director at WVRQ Radio in Viroqua and dear friend.

In tomorrow's scheduled Legion game between Viroqua and Bi-State, Onalaska Luther's summer team, there will be moment of silence remembering Pete and a concession stand with proceeds going to Viroqua.

He is survived by his wife Joann and his daughters Sandy, Brenda and Stephanie.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at the Viroqua Park Bowl.

​COPYRIGHT 2024 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.