Katherine Anne Swanner

Katherine Anne Lipscomb Swanner, a longtime resident of Graham, NC, passed away Thursday morning, August 14, in Atlanta, GA. The eldest daughter of Cora and James "Jim" Swanner, Katherine was born in Birmingham, AL, on September 19, 1941. The family lived in Boston, MA, and Auburn, AL, while her father served in WW2, and then moved to Graham. Katherine grew up in a house on McGee Street. She graduated from Graham High School in 1959, where she loved basketball, playing forward for GHS's six-on-six girls team.

After graduation, she attended Auburn University, making her the sixth generation in her family to be affiliated with the University. She pursued a career in Education and then returned to Graham, teaching math and science at Graham Middle School for several years before she left teaching to become a stay-at-home mom.

Katherine's hobbies were golf and investment clubs. She also enjoyed spending time with family, particularly her grandchildren. After the youngest of her three children entered college, Katherine obtained an MBA from UNC-G. From there, she worked for Jefferson-Pilot (later Lincoln Financial) assisting clients with life insurance and investment needs until she retired.

Katherine was predeceased by her husband, Henry Lefoy Bayliff. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Cora and Jim, and both her sisters, Jeanne Robertson and Andrea Redding. As her parents passed while Andrea was still a teenager, the sisters developed a particular closeness ensuring Andrea went into adulthood on the right foot.

She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Crockett and husband Charlie; son, Walter Mussell and wife Motoyo; daughter, Jeanne Anderson, and her husband, Barry; grandchildren Andrew Mussell, Christopher Mussell, Will Anderson, Chase Anderson, Andrea Crockett, and Bo Anderson; and nephew Bailey Bowline and his wife, Neisha.

Katherine will be buried in a private ceremony at Linwood Cemetery in Graham. A celebration of Katherine's life will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Graham. She first joined Bethany in the early 1980s and remained a member until moving to Georgia to be closer to family. In her time at Bethany, she became a Stephens Minister, actively professing her faith to others.

The family will receive friends at the church immediately following the Celebration of Life.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Bethany Presbyterian Church (www.bethanypreschurch.org).