Robert SWAIN Obituary

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. - Robert Onwood Swain, 92, entered into eternal life to be with his wife of 66 years, his daughter and friends by his side, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010, at Laurel Baptist Church. The family will receive friends following the service. A memorial service will also be held in Newport News, Va., at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Robert's favorite charity, the Salvation Army, 2001 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or World Vision International, Attn: In Honor of Robert O. Swain, P.O. Box 9716, Dept. W, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716. Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, West Columbia Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Robert was born July 31, 1918, in Newport News, Va., and was the son of the late Leon Onwood Swain and Annie Murray Swain. He was a graduate of V.P.I. with a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He was a longtime member of Long Hill Baptist Church in Trumbull, Conn., and subsequently of Laurel Baptist Church in West Columbia.
Robert is survived by his daughters, Gayle (Ed) Zimmerman of Melbourne, Fla., and Dorothy (Shane) Noel of Louisville, Tenn.; son, Robert L. (Christine) Swain of South Acworth, N.H.; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.

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Published by Daily Press from Oct. 8 to Oct. 9, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Robert SWAIN

2 Entries

October 11, 2010

Thoughts while driving (Danna Lou Swain Palmer, niece)
Saturday, October 9, 2010 4:27 AM

I wish I could program my thoughts onto paper as they come to me. This was phrased so much better than this in my mind. . .

Columbus Day . . . 1968 to 2010 Thomas Ryan Swain

October 12, 1968 â€“ Daddy took his last breath on a Saturday morning while we were in town shopping for his birthday gift at Dorzback's. He would have been 40 years old on October 14. Instead, we gathered at a Memorial Service that day.

Saturday, October 9, 2010 . . . . The life of Robert Onwood Swain, eldest son of Leon Onwood and Annie Murray Sanderson Swain, is celebrated with both joy in his move to God's side, and sadness in his passing. But what a treasure this life was. He set a very high standard for four younger brothers. Bright, articulate, handsome, tall, and with a beautiful voice, our beloved Uncle Robert would pave the way for a most loving and generous family. Serving in WWII, he witnessed almost half of the history of our young republic.

Although I don't know the sequence of events, I do know that Uncle Robert was a scholar - a graduate engineer from Virginia Tech. The love of his life, Emily Gayle, would become our hilarious, brilliant, witty aunt. She was also a wonderful friend . . . and sister of sorts to Tommy's young wife, Kristina.

Cousins all, the Swain families gathered often at family homesteads in North Carolina and Virginia, always bringing music, food-a-plenty, and a sense of purpose to these people called Swains. We looked up to Bobby, Gayle and Dorothy Ann, and were gleeful each and every time they came to visit us in Delaware . Our trips to Trumbull in the snow and ice, and in the cool summers were special memories to be cherished.

But the most important trait in Robert Swain, was his devotion to his family whom he adored. Generationally inept at showy affection, this man's roots run deep. Of all the stories we heard of our uncles, perhaps the best loved of all was Daddy's naming of the Uncles. Uncle Barky, Uncle Pious, Uncle Grumpy, Uncle Dashing, and Uncle Bulgy would fill hours of laughter and story times as we learned the value of good-natured ribbing . . . and that precluding all else was respect and the love of God.

Today, a legacy of love and strength has been passed to us â€“ the successive generations of Swains. It will be a tall order to fill, but we have been blessed by five wonderful loving uncles who have modeled for us love, generosity, strength of character, and faithfulness.

I wanted you, Uncle Robert and Aunt Emily's church family in Laurel Baptist Church in West Columbia , to know how much you were loved and revered by this humble and unassuming couple. Free to travel after lives of work and service, they fell in love with the people of this community â€“ and this church in particular. Contemplating moves closer to family members on several occasions was precluded by the strength they drew from God's people here in South Carolina . Thank you all for giving them a southern home with milder winters than Connecticut . Know that you were cherished by Robert and Emily. Many stories of God's grace and provision were shared with us over these retirement years. Wisdom comes first from God's Word . . . we are blessed to have a man such as Robert Onwood Swain to lead us to the throne of grace once again. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow for the Swain Men in our lives. Thank you Lord, for Robert â€“ father, husband, brother, uncle, friend, and son, once again. Amen.

Gayle Shannon

October 8, 2010

We are so sorry to hear about Mr. Bob's passing. He and Ms. Emily were wonderful people and we admired and cared about them alot. We will keep your family in our prayers.

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