James Swan

SWAN, James James Gerald Swan, 79, of Sanger, passed away peacefully at home on February 8, 2022, of complications from Parkinson's Disease and Dementia. Many knew him as "Jim" or "Swanie." He was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, and his father introduced him to the great outdoors and taught him to duck hunt as a young child. Later in life, he was to cherish his memories of hunting and trout fishing trips with friends, clients, and family. He was an honorary lifetime member of the National Ducks Unlimited and donated a puppy every year for 50 years. Jim served in the US Army from 1963 to 1968. In 1962, Jim met Marsha while playing on a bowling league in Amarillo. They graduated from Tascosa High School and then, married in 1964. In 1965, following encouragement from friends, Dick Wilberforce, and Pete Odom, they purchased "Louie," their first Labrador Retriever, for $25. Jim watched his first competitive field trial in the spring of 1966, and after only three days of observation, he knew he had found his calling. He went on to serve training apprenticeships under Tommy Sorenson of Wentzville, Missouri (later inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame) and Floyd Hayes of Katy, Texas. In 1968, they moved to Johnson City, Tennessee to manage Ripshin Kennels. Jim was a founding member of the Professional Retriever Trainer Association (PRTA). In 1970, he and Marsha moved to Lake Dallas, Texas to establish Swan Kennels. Jim traveled for as much as six weeks at a time on the field trial circuit across the country while Marsha managed the kennel and took care of the children. When he was home, he enjoyed coaching youth baseball, conducting training demonstrations at local schools, holding training seminars, and serving on the Hickory Creek City Council as a City Commissioner. Jim relocated the family to Sanger in 1979. Jim seldom turned away a client or dog for a private lesson. Instead, he made a joke out of it, saying: "If you're about to buy a chocolate lab, think twice, my price just went up!" His clients often heard him say, "It's not his fault!" referring to a dog confused by an uncoordinated handler. Despite Jim's straightforward communication style and demands for perfection, clients returned year after year (many of them had had four generations of dogs trained under him). Some of his fondest memories consisted of training dogs for clients and then going on hunting trips with them, and watching the dog perform up to his expectations and those of their owners. In 2005, Jim was inducted into the Retriever Field Trial Hall of Fame. Also inducted, were two dogs that he trained, "Volwood's Ruff and Ready" and "Trumarc's Raider", as well as a trainer apprentice, the late Bill Eckett. Jim enjoyed a 55-year career as a dog trainer and coach, coaching handlers across the globe, including Australian Geoff Cole and his two-time National and Amateur National Champion retriever, "Ruff," son of Volwood's Ruff and Ready. In the course of his 79 years, 'Grandpa Jim' said many memorable things about dogs, some of them humorous. Among them: chocolate is not a dog, it's a good flavor of ice cream; reward the behavior you want repeated; say it only once and walk away; a good dog is a trained dog and never end on a fail, always end on success, because they need to feel good about themselves. Jim enjoyed Mexican food, a good drink with friends, hunting and fishing, and working around the farm and kennel with his family. He and Marsha generously welcomed numerous kennel helpers, training apprentices, pro trainers, and family into their home and guest house over the years. He was an inveterate storyteller who enjoyed teasing the children. For example, when he'd refer to someone in a story and you responded with, "Who?" He said, "Who? You got three toes and sit on a limb?" He jokingly referred to bratty kids and dogs alike as "juvenile delinquents" who should be sent to the Swan Summer Camp for what he referred to as "the cure." To him, the cure meant nothing more than good, old-fashioned hard work and humility. Friends can visit with family at DeBerry Funeral Home on Monday, February 14, 2022 from 5PM to 7PM. A Celebration of Jim's life will be held on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 also at DeBerry's. Donations can be made in Jim's name to The Retriever Field Trial Hall of Fame and Bird Dog Museum at birddogfoundation.com. Read more: https://www.billdeberry.com/obituary/james-swan