Jeneral Benjamin Swindell

Jeneral Benjamin Swindell, Jr. (J.B.), age 83, of Georgetown, Texas, passed away after a brief illness on Thursday, May 15th. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kathy Olson, and his daughter, Michelle Berryman, her husband, Mason Berryman, and his beloved pups, Kuba and Dolly Parton, as well as countless extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Rotha Swindell, his siblings, Henry Swindell and Lorena Parker, his first wife, Doylene (Parker) Swindell, and his best friend and brother-in-law, Fred Olson.

Born and raised in Ludowici, Georgia, J.B. graduated from Ludowici High School in 1959. He was a point guard on the basketball team that made it all the way to the state finals. They came up short on points, but long on spirit and reputation with a feat that has yet to be eclipsed. J.B. was always proud of the team and the way they rallied their community.

He attended Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia, followed by jobs with the Georgia Prison System and General Motors in Atlanta. In 1963, newly married, he enlisted as a Private in the Georgia National Guard to earn a little extra cash to buy a refrigerator. In 1966, he graduated from the Georgia Military Institute (officer candidate school) and embarked on what would become a 26-year career in the military, retiring in 1989 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He proudly served his country in Vietnam and did two tours in Europe. In 1973, the U.S. Army sent him to the University of Mississippi to finish his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, graduating in 1974. Ole Miss was a huge part of his life. Two of his greatest disappointments were that the Army wouldn’t let him walk-on to the Ole Miss basketball team and that his daughter, Michelle, opted to attend Georgia Tech. He came around on Georgia Tech, but not so much on the basketball. In his last visit to campus in November 2024, he proudly endured the rain to cheer the Rebels on to a 28-10 victory over Georgia. Hotty Toddy!! He went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1977.

After retiring from the Army, J.B. became a defense contractor where he continued to support our troops in California, South Carolina, Florida, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He also enjoyed supporting his loving wife, Kathy, in her careers, through the Army, teaching, and eventually working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation where Kathy’s colleagues knew J.B. as “the grill master.”

J.B. and Kathy shared a love of dogs, hospitality, home and friends. The doors were always open, the grill always smoking. Holidays brought a full house with family, friends, neighbors and professional colleagues. J.B. always said that he “never met a stranger” and he meant it.

J.B. was always ready for fun and mischief. He cheated at board games, told great fish tales, loved to fish and grill. His laughter was infectious and he enjoyed a good prank (giving and receiving).

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home (2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628) with a reception following the service to celebrate J.B.’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Take Me Home Transport (https://www.takemehometransport.org/), a wonderful charity, near and dear to J.B. and Kathy, that supports pet adoptions.