Robert George Swain was born on 26 July 1936 in Surrey and spent his early years there. He studied medicine in the UK and passed the fellowship of the college in 1963. After marrying Ann, he moved with his family to Canada in 1965 to join a rural medical practice in Alberta as a general practitioner. Ten years later they moved to Nanaimo, British Columbia for him to take up a post at the Caledonian Medical Clinic, where he worked until retirement. He died on 20 August 2018 aged 82. His wife of 48 years predeceased him and he was survived by their children Paul and Nicola, grandchildren Kristopher, Braeden, and Aleksander and great grandchildren, Xavier and Kaius.