Homer Franklin Swain
May 25, 1939 — August 16, 2018
Homer Franklin Swain, age 79, of Columbus, MS, passed away August 16,
2018, at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be Sunday, August
19, 2018, at 3:00 PM at Memorial Gunter Peel Chapel College St. location
with Rev. Sammy Crawford, officiating. The interment will immediately
follow at Friendship Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1:00 PM until the
time of the service.
Mr. Swain was born May 25, 1939, in West Point, MS, to the late George
Franklin "Frank" and Margaret Exyah Swain. He was a graduate of Lee High
School and while at East Mississippi Community College, Homer was the 2nd
leading scorer and selected All American in basketball his sophmore year.
He also played in the Junior College All American Series. After graduating
from Mississippi State University with a BS in eduation, he moved to Florida
and was an assistant football coach and head track coach at Escambia High
School in Pensacola. He also coached the North Florida Track Club. He had
five of his track students participate in the Olympic Games. He served as a
high school and junior college basketball official in Florida, Alabama, and
Mississippi from 1970-1980. He was selected Coach of the Year in the
Pensacola area and was selected Sportsman of the Year by the Pensacola
Sports Association.
Having grown up working in the produce business, after returning to
Columbus, he began working at United Produce in Starkville, MS. He was a
valued employee at United Produce in Starkville for over 30 years, doing a
job he loved.
After developing Cork Village at Elm Lake with his son, Scott Swain, he
and Dee Harris began Cork Village Lawn Service. He was pleased that his
grandsons were able to work with him during the summer in the lawn care
business. He enjoyed riding his zero-turn mower almost as much as a game of
golf with his golfing buddies, Willie Menotti and Ken Jaynes. In his later
years, his love for the Lord increased and he shared his faith with those
around him by reaching out to encourage them in their walk with Jesus. Mr.
Swain was a member of Fairview Baptist Church. In addition to his parents,
he was preceded in death by his brother, Paul Swain, and sister, Marilyn
Swain.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Mary Stennett Swain, sons,
Steve Swain of Portland, OR, and Scott Swain and his wife Rebecca of
Columbus, MS, daughter, Holly Tippett and her husband Kelly of Columbus, MS,
brothers, Paul Swain of Columbus, MS, and Mike Swain of Tuscaloosa, AL,
grandchildren, Coleman Swain and his wife Katie, Mary Margaret Swain, Seth
Swain, Chaz Farrar, Conner Farrar, Anna Belle Swain, Jethro Swain, and
Jeremy Swain, and great grandson, Ridge Swain.
Pallbearers will be Coleman Swain, Seth Swain, Chaz Farrar, Conner
Farrar, Dee Harris, and Michael McTaggert.
Honorary pallbearers will be John McKissack, M. C. Ellis, Dr. Jerry
Stennett, Miller Griffin, Ken Jaynes, Willie Menotti, Hester Smith, and Billy
Bozeman's Sunday School Class of Fairview Baptist Church.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O.
Box 1000 Dept. 142, Memphis, TN, 38101. <iframe id="tukios_player_512x330" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameborder="0" height="330" scrolling="no" src="https://www.tributeslides.com/videos/embedded_video/9BRGLXMBSPRLYTHG" width="512"></iframe>
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