Sweere, Dr. Joseph J. 1939 - 2021 age 82, of Owatonna, Minnesota passed away peacefully in the presence of loved ones on November 21, 2021, at Homestead Hospice House of Owatonna, MN, after a three-year struggle with CNS lymphoma. Son of Cornelius and Gertrude (Hofland) Sweere, he was preceded in death by his loving wife Mary (Kaldahl) Sweere, and his brothers Ted, Harry and Ed. Joseph was born on August 10, 1939, in Carrington, North Dakota. He graduated from New York Mills High school in 1957, and graduated Salutatorian from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in 1961. He was united in marriage to Mary at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glenwood, MN on October 10, 1964. The couple resided in Owatonna throughout their married life where they raised their family of six children, numerous cats, snakes, lizards, rabbits, and birds. Dr. Sweere built a successful chiropractic practice in Owatonna, faithfully serving patients for 25 years before joining the faculty at Northwestern Health Sciences University. As an instructor and mentor, Dr. Sweere inspired and instructed a new generation of chiropractors, shaping lives and guiding careers long after his students became his colleagues. A pillar within the field of chiropractic, Dr. Sweere lectured in dozens of countries throughout the world and received many awards and accolades for his teaching and contributions to the profession, including, but not limited to, the Minnesota Chiropractic Association Chiropractor of the Year in 1997, the John Allenburg Meritorious Award in 2002, and the Lifetime Achievement Distinguished Service Award in 2019. At NWHSU, he was voted teacher of the year in both 1990 and 2006, was awarded the University Brilliant Star Award in 2007, and was the first recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. An author and artist, Joseph lived a life filled with a love for family, friends, scholarship, travel, art, music, and antiques. Together he and Mary lovingly restored a crumbling Victorian house into a stunning showplace of a family home imbued with love, encouragement, and optimism. Even after his diagnosis, he continued to live each day with grace and gratitude. He believed "We are on the earth to help each other, and therein lies our joy." And while we will miss him every day, we are blessed to have been a part of his joyful life. Joseph is survived by son Michael (Carole), daughter Melissa (Ken) Langer, sons Steven (Jodie), Craig (Cyndee) Jonathan, Ryan (Sovanneary). Also, nine grandchildren Mitchell (Michaela) Langer, Mickey, Alison (Dylan) Gilbertson, Eliot, Ben, Nate, Dorothy, Sequoia, Cyan; and great granddaughter Selah, his brother David and Sister Veronica, and many nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. (visitation at 10:00), Saturday December 11, 2021, at St Joseph Parish, 512 S Elm Ave, Owatonna, MN 55060. We would like to thank his entire care team at Mayo clinic, and the wonderful staff At Homestead Hospice House. In lieu of flowers, donations preferred to the NWHSU Sweere Scholarship or to Homestead Hospice House of Owatonna. Stay wise, stay well, stay wonderful!
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY - Joseph J. Sweere DC, DABCO, DACBOH, FICC
Professor Emeritus - Department of Clinical Sciences - College of Chiropractic. Northwestern Health Sciences University
Dr. Sweere served as a Professor in the Clinical Sciences Division, College of Chiropractic, Northwestern Health Sciences University from 1986 thru 2012. He is the founder of the H.C. Sweere Center for Clinical Biomechanics and Applied Ergonomics, and the Sweere Clinic – A Multi-Disciplinary Holistic Healing Center, located on the campus of Northwestern Health Sciences University. He was the Salutatorian of the Class of 1961 at Northwestern. He served as President of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association in 1976 and was the recipient of the MCA Chiropractor of the Year Award in 1979. He was the first recipient of the Northwestern Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is a member of the American Chiropractic Association; a Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists (DABCO); and a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Occupational Health (DACBOH). He is a Fellow of the International College of Chiropractors (FICC). He was the coordinator and principal instructor of postdoctoral orthopedics at Northwestern from 1976 through 1979 and from 1996 through 1999. He has been honored as a two-time recipient of the NWHSU Teacher of the Year Award (1990 and 2006); the 2002 Minnesota Chiropractic Association’s John Allenburg Meritorious Award, and the 2009 recipient of the MCA’s Outstanding Educator Award. In 2006 he received the Joseph Sweere Living Legacy Award from the Council on Occupational Health of the American Chiropractic Association. He was the recipient of the 2007 Brilliant Star Award at the NWHSU Stars Among Us Gala. Dr. Sweere is also the coordinator of NWHSU’s continuing education programs on Occupational Health and Applied Ergonomics, and has been a member of the postgraduate faculty of ten chiropractic colleges. Dr. Sweere is a past member of the American Public Health Association and presented technical papers at the APHA Conferences in 1986 and 1987. He is listed in Marqui’s Who’s Who in the Midwest; Who’s Who in Chiropractic International; Who’s Who among American Teachers; Marqui’s Who’s Who in Industry and Finance and the Manchester Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals. Dr. Sweere served for 34 years as the Chairman of the Rehabilitation Review Panel (RRP) for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI); he is the current Minnesota representative to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), and a former member of the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board for the Department of Labor and Industry for the State of MN. Dr. Sweere was the principal investigator for the Viracon Project, an industrial spinal injury prevention program from 1980 through 1986. He is the developer of the Biomechanical Stress Index (BSI), involving physical and biomechanical screening for the prevention of work-related lower spinal injuries. He is the founder and current President of the International Academy of Chiropractic Occupational Health Consultants (IACOHC). In August of 1988, Dr. Sweere was a featured presenter at an international conference on occupational health sponsored by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Service. He functioned as a presenter on occupational health at the World Chiropractic Congress in Sydney, Australia in October of 1988 and the European Chiropractic Union Convention in Bergen, Norway in June of 1989. Dr. Sweere presented at World Chiropractic Congresses in London, England in 1993 and Cancun, Mexico in 1994, Dr. Sweere was named to the Advisory Council of the International Federation for Holistic Medicine at its organizational meeting in Havana, Cuba in July of 1994. He presented at the National Safety Council Congress in Los Angeles, CA in 1998. In 1999 Dr. Sweere was selected to serve as the chiropractic spokesperson at the federal (OSHA) Stakeholder’s meetings regarding its Proposed U.S. Ergonomics Standard for the prevention of neuro-musculoskeletal disorders. He was a featured presenter at the Alternative Interdisciplinary Conference for the Management and Prevention of Acute and Chronic Pain in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico in June of 2000. In September of 2000, he was a featured presenter at the Swiss Chiropractic Congress 2000 in Basel, Switzerland and the World Chiropractic Congress in Rio De Janeiro in 2011, He presented The Fundamentals of Chiropractic at an international spine conference at the Northgate Hospital in Tianjin, China in August of 2011. Dr. Sweere served as the Editor of Chiropractic Family Practice – A Clinical Manual, a multi-authored chiropractic text, published in May of 1992 by Aspen Publishers of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Dr. Sweere has served as a business consultant to numerous U.S. companies as well as non-profit health related organizations. He is the author of Golden Rules for Vibrant Health in Body, Mind and Spirit – A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness; Basic Health Publications, 2004, and Predisposing Factors to Spinal Instability – An Illustrated Guide, 1983. Dr. Sweere is the inventor and patent holder of The Helping Hand Load Transfer Device, designed to assist in the prevention of lower spinal disorders. Dr. Sweere practiced chiropractic in Owatonna, MN for twenty-five years and has been a full-time chiropractic educator since 1986. He is considered a leading authority on the art, science and philosophy of chiropractic, as well as occupational health, wellness, applied ergonomics and workplace safety education. Dr. Sweere and his late-wife Mary, are the parents of six children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His primary interests are history, psychology, parapsychology, energy medicine, philosophy, holistic healing, epidemiology, clinical nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Sweere’s hobbies are reading, gardening, antiques, glass sculpture and the creation of stained-glass mosaic art.