S.O. "Bob" Swygert

Funeral services will be held in Waldrop Memorial Baptist Church, 2308 Hilton Ave. Columbus, GA 31906 on Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 11:00am, with Reverend Chuck Hasty officiating. Interment will follow on the same date at 3:00pm, in White Oak Presbyterian Church, 2796 Gordon Road, Senoia, GA 30276.

The family will receive friends and relatives at Striffler-Hamby 4071 Macon Road Columbus, GA. 31907 on Friday, March 25, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Born October 1, 1925 in Alvaton (Meriwether County), Georgia, the son of Louie Z. Swygert, Sr. and Clara Maude Hardy Swygert, S. O. “Bob” Swygert attended elementary school in Alvaton and graduated from Newnan High School in 1942. He attended West Georgia State University prior to enlisting in the United States Navy in October, 1943, where he volunteered for Navy Combat Demolition Training (the prerequisite program of the Navy SEALS). After completing his training at Fort Pierce, Florida, he was ordered to the Pacific Theater of World War II and assigned to Underwater Demolition Team Four (“U.D.T. Four”) in Maui, Hawaii. He was a member of that unit serving in the Pacific Theater through World War II.

He was awarded a Bronze Star with the Combat V Device for participating in a highly secretive reconnaissance prior to D-Day on the beaches of Guam in July, 1944, and a Silver Star for making several highly secretive reconnaissances on the beaches of Leyte, Philippines Islands in October, 1944 prior to D-Day. U.D.T. Four was awarded a Navy Unit citation after participating in the invasion of Okinawa in April, 1945. Mr. Swygert also served in the battles of Tinian, Saipan and Mina Shima. He was discharged from the Navy in December, 1945 as a Petty Officer 1st Class. Mr. Swygert was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame on November 7, 2015.

Mr. Swygert earned his B.A. degree from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio in 1949 and a Master’s in Education and Counseling from Georgia State University in 1979. While at Mount Union College, he was very active in athletics earning letters for football, basketball and track.

After completing college, he began a career with the YMCA of Chicago. In 1956, he became Director of the Kankakee, Illinois YMCA. In 1963 he became Director of the Columbus, Georgia YMCA until his retirement in 1974. He also worked in the Education Department of the Metro Columbus Urban League for six years and began work with the City of Columbus in 1980 as Director of the Summer Youth Training and Employment Program. He retired from City of Columbus in 1994 but continued to work part-time until 2011.

Mr. Swygert was an active member and past elder and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbus where he taught Sunday school classes for many years. Believing in giving something back to the community to repay what the community had given him, he served on various community boards and was always willing to serve his fellow man, including spending many Saturday’s feeding the homeless and needy thru Highland Community Church’s outreach program.

He married the late Frances Chesnut in 1945 and they had five children – Nancy, Dorothy, Bob Linda, and Emily. After her untimely death in 1989, he was later married to the late Monica Butler Willoughby, until her death November, 2008. He often said that God had blessed him twice with two devoted and much-loved Christian wives.

He is survived by his children, Nancy Montemayor, Canton, GA, Dorothy (Charlie) Ellis Titusville, FL, Bob (Sandi) Swygert, Stockbridge, GA, Linda (Mel) Allen, Columbus, GA, and Emily (Brandon) Sims, Waleska, GA, three stepsons, Mervyn (Sonya) Willoughby, Norman (Becky) Willoughby, and Michael (Cathy) Willoughby, all of Columbus, GA, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the building fund at the First Presbyterian Church of Columbus (1100 First Avenue, Columbus, GA 31901), White Oak Presbyterian Church ( 2796 Gordon Road, Senoia, GA 30276), Grace Presbyterian Church of Columbus (P O Box 4747, Columbus, GA 31914) or to Highland Community Church (3408 5th Avenue, Columbus, GA 31904) for their work with the homeless population of Columbus.

Online condolences may be offered at www.shcolumbus.com