Things I learned from Paul Rand: 28 – Swan
This post is for Swan.
If any of you ever read Paul Rand’s Design Form and Chaos, you may have seen a dedication page that simply says, “For Swan,” right next to an image of a swan. Maybe you even wondered who Swan was.
Marion Swannie Rand
Marion Swannie Rand was born June 12, 1924, in Buffalo, NY. Marion, cherished wife of Paul, was the daughter of John and Esther Swannie. She graduated Pennsylvania College for Women in Pittsburgh (now Chatham University) in 1945. She enjoyed a successful career working at IBM for many years, where she met Paul.
Paul always half-joked to me Marion was his boss at IBM, and, “That’s how you do it. You marry your boss!”
Love of His Life
Paul was head over heels for Marion. He called her “Swannie,” “Swan,” and sometimes “Pookie.” They did almost everything together.
Paul always wanted to make sure so he asked Marion, “Do we have enough money?” He left all the accounting to her. But he wanted to make sure he was providing, and that they were always comfortable.
Paul just had one demand for Marion. She had to live at least one more day than him, because he couldn’t live a day without her. Which, she more than fulfilled.
Red was Her Color
I can’t exactly remember if Marion loved the color red, or if it was more that Paul loved her in red. Regardless, Marion was often seen wearing red clothes. She even had a bright red Honda Civic hatchback, which I fondly remember. There was a short period I was tasked to drive Marion around in her red Civic while she was recovering from her bunion surgery.
She was incredibly kind and friendly. She was super nice to everybody, including me. It became a routine where she would prepare lunch for both Paul and me. Marion also made sure that Paul would quit work before dinner, because otherwise, he would be working all night, non-stop.
For Swan
Marion Swannie Rand passed away on December 29, 2017. This post is for Swan.
(May they have found each other up there and are happy together forever.)
