Rita G. Swink

The founder of the Hobby World chain in Jacksonville, FL, Rita Lyons Swink, passed away September 26, peacefully and surrounded by friends and family. Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Rita was raised in Jacksonville and graduated from Forrest High School as Valedictorian. She went on to attend the University of Florida and then Jacksonville University. Rita had several jobs over the years prior to starting the Hobby World chain and one of her favorites was working with Pembroke Huckins of Huckins Yachts of Jacksonville as a marine surveyor. She is the current owner of Hobby World, which she started in 1978. She loved racing remote control cars and was involved in all aspects of the business.

Rita always loved sports and was an avid water skier in her earlier years. She also became a pilot and loved to fly. She was one of the founding members of the Space Coast chapter of the Ninety Nines women's flight club.

Ten years ago, Rita had a lung transplant at Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, after being diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Rita was blessed, with the help of her husband Greg Swink and the extremely talented doctors and nurses of Mayo, to have a decade of renewed life from her transplant. She lived life to the fullest and was loved wherever she went. She is preceded in death by her father Adron Lyons, mother Madeline Lyons Robitschek, and sister Marilyn Lyons. She is survived by her husband Greg Swink, son Matt Brannon and wife Debbie, daughter Katie Swink Reid and husband DJ, her grandchildren Bailey, Connor, Riley and Maddie, her sister Treasure Williams and husband Ron and many other loving cousins, nieces and nephews.

To know Rita was to love her and she made you feel loved when you were with her. She will be greatly missed.

Family will receive friends 6-8 PM on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 and funeral services will be held 2 PM, Thursday, October 1, 2015 at HARDAGE-GIDDENS RIVERMEAD FUNERAL HOME, 127 Blanding Blvd, Orange Park, FL. Burial will follow at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Please post words of comfort at www.hardage-giddensrivermead.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Mayo Clinic in her name for lung transplant research.