Sara S. Swanson

Sara was born on January 31, 1953 to Lloyd and Louise (Worley) Snead of Saltville, Virginia. She grew up in the beautiful hills of Rich Valley, Virginia, just outside of Saltville, where her parents worked for the Olin Chemical Company. She attended Oak Grove Baptist Church as a child where she accepted the Lord as her Savior and was baptized at a young age.

After graduating as salutatorian of Rich Valley High School’s class of 1971, she moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where she completed a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education at Bob Jones University. Following college graduation in 1975, Sara moved back home to Virginia and taught high school science, math, and driver’s education for seven years at Southwest Virginia Christian Academy. She then moved back to Greenville, SC, and joined the Family and Consumer Sciences faculty at Bob Jones University while completing her secondary degrees.

During her first few years on faculty, she met Mark Swanson, and they were married on July 23, 1988. Mark and Sara longed to grow their family, but experienced three miscarriages and the stillborn birth of their daughter, Allison Joy. This brought them profound sorrow but also an opportunity to rejoice in the God who makes no mistakes. After many years of waiting, the Lord graciously blessed them with the birth of their daughter, Laura Elizabeth “Laura Beth,” in 1995. Mark and Sara chose to continue growing their family through international adoption. They, along with Laura Beth, traveled to Ukraine in 1999 to bring home their three year old son, Jonathan Mark Yuri.

Sara remained on faculty at Bob Jones University and served as division chair for Family and Consumer Sciences. She had the privilege of serving alongside two treasured mentors, Dr. Guenter Salter and Mrs. Diane Hay. She completed 25 years at Bob Jones in 2010 before transferring to teach high school science at Greenville Classical Academy in Simpsonville, SC, for nine years. Sara retired in 2019 after 41 years in education and left a lasting impact on the lives of countless high school and college students, many of whom consider Sara their favorite teacher.

In addition to her career, Sara was heavily involved in professional organizations such as AAFCS and SCAFCS, and humbly served in many capacities at her home church, Community Baptist from 1987-2006, and Cornerstone Baptist from 2006-2026. Sara also enjoyed the opportunity to travel with her family, and was able to explore several Canadian provinces and much of the United States, including many national parks. She was a loving wife, mother, teacher, and friend, and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Sara is survived by her loving husband of 38 years, Mark Swanson; two children, Laura Beth Swanson and Jonathan Swanson, all of Taylors, SC; her sister Mary Snead of Abingdon, VA; and her sister in law and brother in law, Cheryl and Fred Scruton, of Cranesville, PA. She was preceded in death by her daughter Allison Joy Swanson and her parents Lloyd and Louise Snead.

The family expresses deep gratitude to Pat Dill, Brenda Farmer, and the staff at The Residences at Greer for their compassionate care for Sara.

The family will receive friends at Mackey Funerals and Cremations at Woodlawn, 1 Pine Knoll Dr. Greenville, SC 29609 on Monday, August 24, 2026 from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Funeral services will take place on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 11:00 am at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 8508 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC 29615. Pastor Gary Reimers will be officiating. A private burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Sara’s name may be made to Cornerstone Baptist Church, Piedmont Women’s Center, or The Wilds Christian Camp.