Harold Eldred Swearingen, of Pine Hill, AL, went home to with the Lord on May 1, 2024, at age 97. He was born July 26, 1926, to the late Frank and Ruth Swearingen. He was preceded in death by his two sisters, Geraldine Jones of Houston, TX and Emily Hart of Chattahoochee, FL. He is survived by his wife Ann Philips Swearingen, his three children Suzanne (Bob) Patrick of Fort Walton Beach, FL, Burke (Joan) Swearingen and Cynthia (Scott) Moss both of Birmingham, AL. He is survived by seven grandchildren Jennifer (Abel) Levine of Daphne, AL, Lisa (Anthony) Fuller and Melisa (James) Hamilton of Fort Walton Beach, FL, Ben Swearingen, Hannah Swearingen, Eli Moss, and Ethan Moss all of Birmingham and one great grandson Conrad Fuller of Fort Walton Beach, FL., along with a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Mr. Swearingen was a life-long resident of Pine Hill and a graduate of Pine Hill High School, Class of 1944. After high school he enrolled the University of Alabama, but his studies were interrupted when he was called for military service during World War II where he served in the U.S. Army Air Corp from January - October 1945. Soon after his military training was completed the war ended and he was allowed to resume his college studies at Alabama. He graduated in 1949 with a degree in finance.
While attending college he met the love of his life on a blind date, Ann Philips of Attalla, AL. They were later married June 24, 1950, and remained faithful to each other for 73 years. After marriage they established their home in Pine Hill where they remained until they moved to Birmingham in 2023 to be closer to family.
After graduating college, he returned to Pine Hill to enter the insurance business with his father at the Swearingen Insurance Agency. For over 40 years he ran a successful property and casualty independent insurance agency that served many throughout Southwest Alabama.
While insurance may have been his profession, one of his true passions was serving his community. For his entire adult life, much of his time was spent in service to the community. The first official record of his community involvement was an appointment to the recreation board in 1963 where he served for six years. Then on January 7, 1963, he was appointed as an alderman to the town council and later in 1964 appointed mayor to fill an unexpired term. He continued to serve as mayor until October 1990 when he resigned to lead the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation (AMIC). In his twenty-six years as mayor, he was a leader of many projects that had an impact throughout the region, most notably was the locating of MacMillan-Bloedel Paper Mill (now International Paper) and the Pine Hill Water Treatment Plant.
During his tenure as mayor, he was actively involved with the Alabama League of Municipalities where he served on numerous committees and was League President from 1985-1986. He was very instrumental in the founding of AMIC, so much so that he was recruited to lead the organization, a position he held for 10 years until he retired in 2000. He is the only municipal official to have worked with every executive director.
Never one to sit still, after his retirement he continued to be involved in the life of the community and served two more terms on the town council in 2012 and again in 2016. He was elected mayor again in 2020 at age 95 serving until 2023 when he resigned for health reasons.
Not only was he actively involved in municipal government, but faith played an important role in his life too. He was a lifelong member of the Pine Hill Baptist Church where for decades he served as deacon, Sunday School teacher and choir member. He served on numerous boards and committees of the Bethel Baptist Association and the Alabama Baptist State Convention. In the late 1970’s and 1980’s he led a group of laymen who traveled throughout the state and southeastern U.S. where they worked with local churches to organize lay laid revivals.
Additionally, for many years he served as a board member of the Wilcox County Gas District and from 1978-1982 served on the board of trustees for Mobile College. During these years Mobile College experienced tremendous growth and expansion.
Outside of his church and civic involvement he enjoyed time with his family and playing golf. He was an avid Alabama fan. For many years he was a season ticket holder of both football and basketball. When not playing golf or being involved in the community he could be found at home watching Alabama sporting events.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 4 from 10:00 a.m.-12 noon at Ridout’s Valley Chapel, 1800 Oxmoor Road in Homewood, AL.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 6, at 2:00 p.m. at the Pine Hill Methodist Church in Pine Hill with burial to immediately follow at the Pine Hill Cemetery. Prior to the service there will be a visitation and viewing at the church beginning at 12:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers the family asks donations to be made in his memory to the Pine Hill Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 398, Pine Hill, AL 36769.
Services are under the direction of Ridout’s Valley Chapel in Homewood, AL.
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