Bea "Anderson" Swedien

Bea Swedien ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Roberts of Ocala East Chapel on Mar. 9, 2026.Bea (Anderson) Swedien, 91, of Ocala, Florida, passed away peacefully at her home in Ocala on February 24, 2026.Born in St. Paul, Minnesota on November 11, 1934, Bea spent her childhood in the Naga Hills of northeast India, where her Swedish-American parents were missionaries for nearly thirty years. She recalled her family's adventurous life in the jungle, her teenage years at boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas and their shipboard travels during World War II in her first memoir Under the Red Blanket.Her second memoir My Life as a Studio Wife tells the story of her life with her husband of sixty-eight years, legendary Grammy Award-winning recording engineer, Bruce Swedien (1934-2020), known for his work with Quincy Jones, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez and many others. He became best known as Michael Jackson's engineer on six albums - including the record-breaking Thriller. Bea was a welcome presence in the studios for all the projects and was dearly loved by everyone. Quincy Jones called her "One of the most irrepressible, high-spirited people I know."Bruce and Bea moved to Ocala for the horses and sunshine in 2002 and spent many happy years here with their Great Danes, Border Collies, horses, chickens and many cats.She is survived by her daughters, Roberta Swedien of Gainesville, Florida and Julie (Loren) Johnson of Skokie, Illinois.In remembrance of Bea, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Great Dane Love Rescue gdlcf.org.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.