Douglas Alexander Swayze II

Douglas Alexander Swayze II, the only son of Mabel Durel and Durden G. Swayze, was born in Yazoo City on Columbus Day 1920. In his signature witty manner, Doug loved to share that as a child he thought the Columbus Day parades took place in his honor.

Doug attended St. Clara’s Academy in Yazoo City and graduated from St. Stanislaus College School in Bay St. Louis. He attended Spring Hill College in Mobile for two years, and then transferred to the University of Mississippi, where he graduated with a business degree in 1942. Doug enjoyed the social life at Ole Miss as a member of the SAE fraternity.

During World War II, Doug joined the 83rd Chemical Battalion in Augusta, Georgia and shipped out on Easter Sunday in 1942. He served in the medical corps in Europe until the war ended. Doug was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries during battle in Italy.

After the War, Doug worked for the MS State Rating Bureau in Jackson, returning to Yazoo City to open a men’s clothing store, aptly named “D.A. Swayze”, with his father in 1950.

Doug travelled extensively and enjoyed a bachelor’s life until 1969, when he met the love of his life, Marie Holman, on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. Neither was seeking romance, but it didn’t take long for the two to discover they shared many passions, including dancing, arts, music, entertaining, travel and devotion to their respective faith traditions.

Doug and Marie married in 1970 and enjoyed almost forty years together until her death in 2009. With no children of his own and a small extended family, Doug frequently expressed how fortunate he felt to “inherit” Marie’s family, which included her children, Bayard and Elise Van Hecke, her brother and sister-in-law, Henry and Sondra Holman and their four children, and cousins Lester and Alfreda Spell, the Stephensons and the Byrds. Marie’s family welcomed Doug into their lives, as his vivacious, optimistic, fun-loving personality brought life and energy to all. After the death of his beloved aunt Edith Durel Hegman, Auntie, who “adopted” Doug when his mother died, they became his closest family.

Known for his extroverted and theatrical persona, often flaunted in the Yazoo City Follies, Doug soon became “the life of the party” in Jackson as he and Marie were active in many social and civic spheres. Over the years, Doug and Marie split their time between Jackson and the Gulf Coast, where they formed lifelong friendships and became a part of the community.

His family and friends will most remember Doug for his gregarious exuberance. He never met a stranger and often brought forth tears of laughter with his comical stories, anecdotes and colloquial expressions from earlier days.

After Marie’s death, Doug’s life became more focused on his church community at St. Richard’s Catholic Church. A group of St. Richard’s men, led by Jack Geary, Jamie Irby and Anthony Thomas, embraced Doug, taking him to mass and special services and arranging outings for him. Doug especially enjoyed his “Never More Than Ten Bucks” luncheon group. His inherited family, particularly his sister-in-law Sondra, her children, Holly, Hank Sandy and Janie, and their families, showered Doug with attention and affection. Doug also was blessed with outstanding caregivers, Jerry Powell, Michael Towers, and especially Deborah Kent, who cared for Doug after having nursed and supported Marie for a number of years, and who made it possible for him to continue enjoying living at home and being with family and friends literally until his 94 years ended on Friday, May 22.