James Edward "Eddie" Swart

James Edward Swart, affectionately known as Eddie, was born September 26, 1929, making him 96 years old at the time of his passing. He was the second of five boys born to his Dutch immigrant father, Willem Swart and his mother, Bessie Barbara Burton Swart, from Castle Hayne, NC

Eddie was preceded in death by his brother, Willem Dirk Swart, known as Billy, and his wife, Pat Barnhill Swart. He also lost his brothers , John ( Johnny) Swart and Robert (Bobby) Stevens Swart , along with his sister-in-law, Bettye Rivenbark Swart.

Eddie also had one daughter, who passed,away, Cynthia Swart Meshaw, along with all three of his sons-in -laws, Floyd Whitney Price,Jr, Daniel Ray Rhodes and Greg Meshaw.

Growing up in Swartville, Eddie was surrounded by his Dutch immigrant paternal grandparents uncles and aunt and his mother's local family. He and his 30+ cousins lived and worked together on the “Hill” as they called it,in the family business “D. Swart Cape Fear Dairy”. Eddie's days from the age of about 6 to 18 consisted of rising at 5am, heading to the milk house to bottle milk until 7am, then heading home for breakfast and taking off for school. It was back to work in the milk house after school until 6:30 supper, followed by homework, and bed. The only difference on weekends was no school.

Eddie's life was characterized by hard work, a trait he maintained throughout his years. He graduated high school in 1947 and subsequently attended Hemphill Diesel School. In 1949 , he transitioned from farm life to work for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad. In 1950 Eddie enlisted in the Army, serving in Korea until 1952. From 1952 to 1966 he worked as an auto mechanic, first at Robinson Alignment and then at Buick. In 1966 he began his career at Ideal Cement , where he remained until his retirement in 1983.

Eddie was not one to remain idle for long; in 1984 he took a position at the New Hanover County School Bus Garage and retired once more in 1993. For the following year, he worked part-time for Porter Nails.

Over the years, Eddie exemplified the spirit of a lifelong learner while supporting his family. After graduating high school, he obtained a certificate from Hemphill Diesel School, becoming a diesel engine mechanic Following his time in the Army and while nurturing his young family, he complete an apprenticeship at Robinson Motor Company to train as an auto mechanic.

In1965, he furthered his education at CF Tech Institute, earning a certificate in drafting.. Between 1985-1995 he pursued various courses such as auto safety inspections, electric welding, gas engine repair, woodworking, machine shop cabinet making and commercial carpentry. After retirement, he developed a keen interest in computers. Being mostly self-taught, he loved sharing his knowledge in computers with anyone interested. He volunteered as an instructor at the New Hanover County Senior Center for many years, earning numerous awards for service. He repaired donated computers and then gave them to anyone who needed one. Eddie probably gave away over 300 computers during this time.

The central theme of Eddie's life was his family. It all started like this:

After finding little joy with the local girls, Eddie was persuaded to go on a blind date. In February 1950, he ventured into the unfamiliar territory of Leland, NC where he discovered the stunning young woman who would become the love of his life, Miss Betty Lou Padgett. Just 11 months later, on December 25,1950, they married at her parent's home. (This was a tale that Eddie cherished sharing). Eddie and Betty celebrated their 75th anniversary this past Christmas day in 2025.

Between 1952 and 1954, their family grew to include three daughters and a son. As time passed, he welcomed three sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law. His family eventually blossomed to include 9 grandchildren and their spouses, along with 14 great-grandchildren.

Eddie is survived by his wife, Betty Lou Padgett Swart, his two daughters, Debora Price, Sherry Rhodes and his son, James Michael Swart (wife Kathryn Roethlinger Swart) nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind one surviving brother Jerome (Joe) Shaw Swart, his wife Helen Galloway Swart and a sister-in-law, Betty Pilcher Swart along with many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Thursday January 29,2026, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Coble Funeral & Cremation Service at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Wilmington, NC.

The funeral will be held on Friday, January 30, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. In the Coble Chapel, with interment and military honors to follow at Oleander Memorial Gardens.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.

Condolence to the family may be sent to www.coblegreenlawn.com