Peter Anton Rundquist

Peter "Swede" Anton Rundquist of Orlando died April 11 at ORMC. He was born August 2, 1930 to Elmer T. and Dorothy Lewis Rundquist in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in Panama, Ft. Reilly and Kelly Field in San Antonio where his father was base commander.He married Anna Laverne Williams in 1956. She preceded him in death in 2006 as did Howard Rundquist, his brother, in 2003. Swede enlisted in the USAF in 1948 and became an aircraft mechanic. He attended OTS and was commissioned a 2nd Lt., then served as a flight engineer on B-17s and as a navigator and RADAR intercept officer in F-89Js and F-101s in Alaska and the Dakotas for NORAD. He had a pivotal role in USAF Pararescue. He helped organize the recovery of Apollo command modules and train rescue forces during the Vietnam War. He retired as a major in 1970 after 22 years of service. He continued to both built and fly experimental aircraft. He leaves behind his well-loved amphibious airplane, N2PR. He received a B.S. in computer science from Florida Southern while working for Sun Electric and was an actor and stuntman in both movies and ads. Recently his life was greatly enhanced by a reunion with long-time acquaintance Irene Wassell of Little Rock. They moved to Swede's home on South Lake Conway in 2010. Swede cared deeply for his family and was a role model and inspiration for his children and taught them a love of adventure. He is survived by two sons, Peter A. Rundquist and wife Julie Horner of Bella Vista, Ark., James Howard Rundquist and wife Audrey and their sons James and Jonathan of Acworth, Ga., and daughter Mary Catherine Miller of Orlando, Fla., and her three children Caurie, Ray and Amanda as well as sister, Mary Ellen Montenegro and husband Fernando of Costa Rica. A memorial service will be held Saturday April 16 at 4 p.m. at the family home. Military honors will be bestowed at Kelly Field at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Pitsenbarger Medal of Honor Statue Fund at www.pitsenbargermemorial.net.