"May you find comfort in John 5:28~29."
In loving memory of
Kenneth Merrill Swain
January 10, 1933 - August 4, 2016
Kenneth M. Swain, Sr. (1933-2016)
Kenneth M. Swain Sr. passed away August 4, 2016. He went peacefully and was surrounded by his family at every moment.
Kenneth grew up in Susanville, a small town in northern California, and went on to see the world and make his marks. He was a USAF veteran of the Korean War working as a Russian language code breaker. He was lucky to find work in a field he truly loved as a wildfire fighter / forest ranger / entomologist for the US Forest Service over 30 years. More importantly he was the most unselfish, loving husband, dad and principled person that imagination could conjure. He was a music lover- Jazz, Frank Sinatra, Opera, loved good wine, good food and good company. He met the love of his life in San Francisco and never looked back.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy, his daughters Kathy and Suzanne, his sons Mike and Kenneth M. Swain, Jr., his two grandchildren, Michael and Caroline Matarrese, son-in-law Patrick Matarrese, daughter-in-law Diana Swain, his sister Helen Varleynot to mention all of his extended family, too numerous to name. To say he will be missed does not begin to estimate the void his passing leaves.
His Memorial Mass will be held on Monday, August 15th, 2016 at 11AM at Church of the Good Shepard in Cumming, GA and his remains will be delivered to the VA cemetery following the Mass.
In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a fund for the wonderful nurses at Northside Forsyth who were amazing caregivers - https://www.gofundme.com/2kbneyxw.
Tributes
".Peggy, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Ed and I have always felt so blessed and privileged to consider you and Ken and Pat and Jack Condra our best friends.We have so many fond memories of the many times we spent together. Especially the times we all met for lunch during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. We all enjoyed so much sharing the stories of all our children and grandchildren and catching up and sharing stories of times past, working together Ken was one of the kindest, most gentle, caring men we have ever know. He is going to be missed by so many, especially us. Please know we love you and your family so much and we share your sorrow. Ed and Evelyn White . .."
"May the God of all comfort bring your family comfort in times of distress Psalms 83:18."
"Peggy, you and your family know how fortunate you are to have Ken with you all those years. I enjoyed the short time I knew Ken through the Forsyth County Master Gardeners. He was a wonderful guy and I missed him when he could no longer participate in garden and naturalist activities.My Regards and Condolences to you and your family. Bonnie Williams"
"My deepest condolences to the Swain family I know that your hearts are broken. My heart is aching for you all. Peggy, you were my friend and mentor at such a very important time in my life and I have always shared with many people that I know, that Ken was the perfect example of what a husband and father should be. He was just a great person on every level, always showing the utmost love and care for his family and those around him. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all. I love you and will see you soon. Love, Vickie & Dean Meyer"
"All of us in the forest health community will miss Ken and his sage advice, whether we agreed with him or not. He always represented the US Forest Service well and truly cared about our partnerships and protecting the natural resources."
"Ken was a great mentor for us younger Entomoligist with state organizations. He helped me many times and was a Joy to work with. We will all miss him."
"Uncle Ken was the kindest, warmest, most decent person. I am so lucky to have had him in my and my family's life for so long. I will miss his warm, welcoming smile and his rich laugh. I've looked forward to visiting Uncle Ken my whole life and someday God willing will again."