Sally Elizabeth Swoyer passed away peacefully on November 16, 2025, in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Born on May 26, 1937, to parents James and Elva McLane, Sally spent her childhood years in the small town of Alfred, NY. James held the position of Director of Athletics and Elva was a professor at Alfred University.
Sally's parents instilled in her a love of education and learning. She was a graduate of University of Rochester and earned a master's degree from The New York School of Social Work in 1960. Her love of social work and desire to make a difference eventually lead her to Arden Shore Child and Family Services, in Waukegan, IL., where she served many years as an active volunteer and ultimately as Board Chair.
Sally met Vincent Swoyer at the University of Rochester, and they were married in August, 1960. Sally and Vince enjoyed a loving and happy marriage of over 60 years and, most importantly, created a beautiful family with the birth of their three sons; Rob, John and Jim.
Family meant everything to Sally, and she prided herself on being a devoted wife and mother. Sally treasured her family and thrived on supporting her children, whether it be through active involvement in their schools, support of their hobbies or as their biggest fan on the sidelines of their many athletic events.
Sally had a love for and deep appreciation of sports. She was a physically active person and particularly enjoyed tennis and golf. You couldn't miss her wearing her trademark visor, on or off the court and links. She and Vince loved watching football, baseball, hockey and golf together, and she especially loved and took pride in watching her children and grandchildren compete.
As the saying goes, "behind every successful man is a strong woman." As a life partner, Sally was Vince's biggest supporter, encouraging and supporting him in his professional endeavors. His career took their family all over the country, including Rochester, NY and Miami, FL, before their final move to Lake Bluff, IL, where they would reside for over 30 years. Sally and Vince and their family enjoyed many summers in their Keuka Lake cottage in the Finger Lakes region of NY, and, in their retirement years, spent winters on the sunny beaches of Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Sally was a person of many interests and hobbies. She loved gardening and took great pleasure in designing and spending time in the peaceful gardens and landscape that surrounded their home in Lake Bluff. She loved nature walks, bird feeders and native flowers, and shared this love with her grandchildren.
Sally was a wonderful listener, generous of spirit and curious about others. She was an avid reader, had a deep interest in politics and was not shy about sharing her thoughts. She loved nothing more than to sit down with a good cup of coffee or a strong cocktail and good conversation.
After raising her boys, Sally delighted in traveling to destinations in Europe, China and Russia with Vince and friends. She enjoyed a love of food and had many traditional dishes and recipes that she shared with her family.
Sally loved to celebrate the holidays. Her particular favorites were Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July. She enjoyed the traditions of decorating her home at Christmas and the parade and pancake breakfast on July 4th. Vince and Sally were active members of Exmoor Country Club for many years and enjoyed socializing and spending holidays at Exmoor with friends and family.
Sally will be remembered and missed as a loving and devoted wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister and aunt. She is preceded in death by her husband, Vincent Swoyer and grandson, Jake Swoyer. Sally is survived by her sons; Rob Swoyer of Pontiac, MI, John (Barbara) Swoyer of Sudbury, MA, and Jim (Jenny) Swoyer of Hinsdale, IL., her cherished grandchildren; Ryan, Matthew, Colin, Hannah, Jeremy and Devin, her brother Richard McLane of Virginia and a large extended family of nephews and nieces.
A celebration of life will be planned for a later date in the spring of 2026 in Lake Forest, IL. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Sally's memory may be made to: Arden Shore Child and Family Services, 329 North Genesee Street, Waukegan, IL, 60085 or https://ardenshore.com/donate/.
Born on May 26, 1937, to parents James and Elva McLane, Sally spent her childhood years in the small town of Alfred, NY. James held the position of Director of Athletics and Elva was a professor at Alfred University.
Sally's parents instilled in her a love of education and learning. She was a graduate of University of Rochester and earned a master's degree from The New York School of Social Work in 1960. Her love of social work and desire to make a difference eventually lead her to Arden Shore Child and Family Services, in Waukegan, IL., where she served many years as an active volunteer and ultimately as Board Chair.
Sally met Vincent Swoyer at the University of Rochester, and they were married in August, 1960. Sally and Vince enjoyed a loving and happy marriage of over 60 years and, most importantly, created a beautiful family with the birth of their three sons; Rob, John and Jim.
Family meant everything to Sally, and she prided herself on being a devoted wife and mother. Sally treasured her family and thrived on supporting her children, whether it be through active involvement in their schools, support of their hobbies or as their biggest fan on the sidelines of their many athletic events.
Sally had a love for and deep appreciation of sports. She was a physically active person and particularly enjoyed tennis and golf. You couldn't miss her wearing her trademark visor, on or off the court and links. She and Vince loved watching football, baseball, hockey and golf together, and she especially loved and took pride in watching her children and grandchildren compete.
As the saying goes, "behind every successful man is a strong woman." As a life partner, Sally was Vince's biggest supporter, encouraging and supporting him in his professional endeavors. His career took their family all over the country, including Rochester, NY and Miami, FL, before their final move to Lake Bluff, IL, where they would reside for over 30 years. Sally and Vince and their family enjoyed many summers in their Keuka Lake cottage in the Finger Lakes region of NY, and, in their retirement years, spent winters on the sunny beaches of Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Sally was a person of many interests and hobbies. She loved gardening and took great pleasure in designing and spending time in the peaceful gardens and landscape that surrounded their home in Lake Bluff. She loved nature walks, bird feeders and native flowers, and shared this love with her grandchildren.
Sally was a wonderful listener, generous of spirit and curious about others. She was an avid reader, had a deep interest in politics and was not shy about sharing her thoughts. She loved nothing more than to sit down with a good cup of coffee or a strong cocktail and good conversation.
After raising her boys, Sally delighted in traveling to destinations in Europe, China and Russia with Vince and friends. She enjoyed a love of food and had many traditional dishes and recipes that she shared with her family.
Sally loved to celebrate the holidays. Her particular favorites were Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July. She enjoyed the traditions of decorating her home at Christmas and the parade and pancake breakfast on July 4th. Vince and Sally were active members of Exmoor Country Club for many years and enjoyed socializing and spending holidays at Exmoor with friends and family.
Sally will be remembered and missed as a loving and devoted wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister and aunt. She is preceded in death by her husband, Vincent Swoyer and grandson, Jake Swoyer. Sally is survived by her sons; Rob Swoyer of Pontiac, MI, John (Barbara) Swoyer of Sudbury, MA, and Jim (Jenny) Swoyer of Hinsdale, IL., her cherished grandchildren; Ryan, Matthew, Colin, Hannah, Jeremy and Devin, her brother Richard McLane of Virginia and a large extended family of nephews and nieces.
A celebration of life will be planned for a later date in the spring of 2026 in Lake Forest, IL. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Sally's memory may be made to: Arden Shore Child and Family Services, 329 North Genesee Street, Waukegan, IL, 60085 or https://ardenshore.com/donate/.
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