Patrick Stephen Swihart, Sr. was born March 14, 1927, in Coffeyville, Kansas, to Ralph Charles Swihart and Isla Fern Eytchison Swihart. He always went by Pat Swihart. Pat grew up in Coffeyville and had many fond memories of his hometown, where he would have graduated with his high school class of 1944; however, because ofContinue Reading
Patrick Stephen Swihart, Sr. was born March 14, 1927, in Coffeyville, Kansas, to Ralph Charles Swihart and Isla Fern Eytchison Swihart. He always went by Pat Swihart. Pat grew up in Coffeyville and had many fond memories of his hometown, where he would have graduated with his high school class of 1944; however, because of the war, his father, who worked for Sinclair Refining Company in Coffeyville, Kansas, was transferred to Texas. Pat graduated in 1944 from Corpus Christi High School. Pat was in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) at Texas A&M and Joined the U. S. Army and trained at Fort Bragg in North Carolina to be a paratrooper. He was scheduled to be shipped out to the South Pacific when President Harry S. Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan on August 6, 1945. Patrick marched in the New York City Victory Parade of 1946 to celebrate the victorious conclusion of World War II. Patrick served as a paratrooper in the U. S. Army 82nd Airborne Division from 1944 to 1946 and the U. S. Army Reserve from 1950 to 1953. When the war ended, he returned to Corpus Christi and worked in oil field service jobs while attending college. In 1952, Pat met Juanita Ruth Murray. They were married in 1953, and Juanita had become the stepmother of two children, Patrick Stephen Swihart, Jr. and Melinda Kathryn Swihart, whose mother had abandoned them and never returned. Pat and Juanita had four more children; Michael Charles Swihart, Patricia Ann Swihart Johnson, Sharon Ruth Swihart and James Hoss Swihart. In 1960 the family moved to Houston, Texas, and they attended the Southwest Church of Christ. Both, Pat and Juanita, were baptized by Jule Miller and became Christians. They have been faithful members ever since that day. They are members of the Fairmont Park Church of Christ located in Midland Texas. Pat worked for various oil field service companies during his life selling and installing downhole oil field equipment. He became self-employed in 1970, doing business as (Subsurface Controls) until he retired. After he retired, Pat trained his son, Michael Charles Swihart, who, in 1990, started his own company, Production Lift Systems, Inc. in the Permian Basin, today known as, Production Lift Companies (PROLIFTCO). Pat was preceded in death, by his parents, Ralph Charles Swihart and Isla Fern Eytchison Swihart of Kerrville, Texas, a sister, Martha McGraw of Houston, Texas and daughter, Patricia Ann Swihart Johnson of Midland, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Juanita Ruth Swihart of 68 years; his three sons, Patrick Stephen Swihart, Jr. of Sarasota, Florida, Michael Charles Swihart of Midland, Texas, James Hoss Swihart of Amarillo, Texas and his two daughters, Melinda Kathryn Parish of Kaufman, Texas, and Sharon Ruth Swihart of Midland, Texas. Survivors also include nine grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland, Texas. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com
The family will receive friends from 5:00pm until 7:00pm Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 11:00am Thursday, June 16, 2022, at the Nalley-Pickle & Welch Chapel.
Graveside will be reserved for family on Monday, June 20, 2022, at 11:00am at Resthaven Memorial Park, Midland, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations can be made to Fairmont Park Church of Christ, Midland, Texas or Sunset School of Preaching in Lubbock, Texas. The family would like to thank Hospice of Midland for their care for Pat while he was at Helen Greathouse Manor Park Assisted Living in Midland, and most recently, Home Hospice of Big Spring when Pat was moved to the Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez Texas State Veterans Home in Big Spring, Texas.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory in Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.
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Missy, Jerry, Jaxson and Weston Jedlicka
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