Bill Swingler

Billy Ross Swingler went to be with his heavenly Father after a long battle with Alzheimer's. A celebration of Bill's life will be held at Highland Baptist Church on Monday, January 21, at 10:00 a.m. Bill will be buried next to his parents in Kosse, Texas, at 12:00 p.m., January 21. Visitation will be 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, January 20, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. He was born June 1, 1940, in Marlin, Texas. He grew up in Kosse, the son of Ross Elvin Swingler and Mamie Aline Lewis Swingler, where he graduated in the last class of Kosse High School in 1958. After graduating from Baylor in 1961, he attended Oklahoma State where he received an MBA degree. Bill and Opal Darlene Wolfe Swingler were married on February 17, 1962, in Abilene, Texas. During his career he worked for IBM in Dallas, The Southwestern Company in Nashville, Tennessee, and Don Hill Enterprises in Kingsport, Tennessee. In 1983 he founded Joy Carpet Dry Cleaning in Plano, Texas, and served as Owner and President for 25 years, until retiring in 2008. After retiring, he got to live his dream of moving to the 250-acre Stonebrook Ranch in Bosque County, where he could hunt, fish and enjoy living in the country. The ranch provided countless opportunities for making memories with his kids and grandkids. After eight wonderful years on the ranch, his failing health caused Bill and Darlene to move to the Waco area. Over the course of his life, Bill served and led in numerous volunteer roles in his church, community and civic organizations. Other than his family, his main passion was the The Gideons, which he joined in 1969. Over the course of 50 years, he served in many Gideon state and local offices including Tennessee State President for 3 years and co-chairman of a Gideons’ International Convention in Dallas. He helped to start numerous Gideon Camps. He gave out Bibles and shared the plan of salvation everywhere he went, including in Romania and the Czech Republic. He leaves behind his college sweetheart and wife of 57 years, Darlene Wolfe Swingler of Woodway, three wonderful children, Steve Swingler & wife, Joanie, of China Spring, Debbie Contoveros and husband, John, of Plano, and Joy Howard of Woodway. He also leaves behind eight very loved grandchildren, Scotty Swingler, Grant Swingler, Sarah Swingler, Timothy Contoveros, Christina Contoveros, Elizabeth Contoveros, Anna Howard, and Mariel Howard. He is also survived by a sister, Sue Mills of Kosse; brother-in-law, James Wolfe of Rogers, Arkansas; sister-in-law, Margaret Ridley of Belen, New Mexico; and many nieces and nephews. Steve Swingler, Scotty Swingler, Grant Swingler, Timothy Contoveros, Trevor Riggs, and Adan Flores will serve as pallbearers. The family wants to thank Visiting Angels, Texas Home Health Hospice and Living Springs Village Memory Care for their care of Bill. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to in memory of Bill at https://www.gideons.org/donate or Gideons International, PO Box 5037, Waco TX 76708. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.