Dorothy L. Swinney
September 4, 1931 ~ January 10, 2018
Dorothy L. “Dottie” Farmer Swinney, 86, passed away January 10, 2018, in IU West Hospital. Mrs. Swinney was born September 4, 1931, in Indianapolis, to the late Harold and Alice “Pauline” (McQueen) Farmer.
She attended Washington High School and graduated from Mooresville High School in 1949. In addition to being a busy mother of six children, she worked for Ellis Trucking, Swinney TV, the Indianapolis Center for Advanced Research, and retired from the IUPUI Department of Education. Mrs. Swinney was a life member of Chapelwood Baptist Church and a member of the Bridgeport Order of the Eastern Star. She enjoyed boating, water skiing, and camping. Family was of the utmost importance to Dottie. She will be fondly remembered by her loving family and many friends.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Richard Swinney; one brother, Jack Farmer; grandchildren, Christopher Lee and Macklin James Swinney.
Survivors include her children, James A. Swinney, Dana M. (the late William) Wright, Patrick H. (Bonnie L.), Michael R. (Kim), Mark O. (Liz), and Scott A. (Dinah) Swinney; sister, Betty (the late Robert) Esamann, and Judy Ann Farmer; 15 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren.
The funeral service will begin at 10 a.m., Monday, January 15, 2018, in the chapel at Carlisle – Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, Mooresville, with calling there from 2 – 6 p.m., Sunday, January 14, 2018. Burial will be in Lincoln Memory Gardens, Whitestown. Memorial contributions may be made to Boystown, http://www.boystown.org/Pages/how-you-help.aspx. Visit www.CarlisleBranson.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.
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I sort of worked with Dottie at IUPUI. Although we were in separate departments we shared an office space. I loved talked with her, she was the sweetest woman with a little bit of spunk mixed in. I will have nothing but fond memories of her. ~Alicia
May you rest in peace, Ms. Dottie. You were a blessing to all those who knew you while at the Chapelwood church. You were welcoming and smiling always to those whom you talked to like my family and I. May your family be comforted in this time of grief. Eva
I will always cherish the friendship we had, and be forever grateful that I had a friend in you. You taught me how to make “poor man’s lemonade”!!! – I laugh and think of you every time I do it! You know I love you; be at peace – I’ll think of you often. With deep sadness, Margo —-
Heartfelt condolences to the Swinney family – and Betty – for your loss.
Dottie was the excellent secretary to the IUPUI Senior Academy for many years. I was President of the organization in 2010-1 and worked closely with Dottie. While the officers of the organization changed every year, Dottie was the the constant ‘go to’ person for operations and keeper of history for the group. She retired in November 2011 and we really missed her. We send our sincere condolences to the Swinney family.
Bill Bosron
Thinking of you Dana, in your time of loss. May you find peace in knowing your mom has gone home and rests in his grace. Sending love and prayers. Sandra
With so many gifts you blessed me with allow me to Honor you with my last gift to you Mother.
We are gathered here today in the memory of my mother, Dorothy Louise Swinney, so that together we may acknowledge and share both our joy in the gift that her life was to us, and the pain that her passing brings. In sharing the joy and the pain together today, may we lessen the pain and remember more clearly the joy of life that was truly hers.
Mom was only 86 when she passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, It’s so hard to say goodbye. We wish that we had more time, and perhaps that during the time we had we had spent more of it together. I wish that so much of her life had not been lost to her illness, that things could have been different for her, and for us. While we know that she is at peace and that her struggles are at an end, there is pain and sadness. But even though she is gone, she has left the legacy of her love and perseverance. The ways she touched our lives and many others will remain, and I ask you to keep those memories alive by sharing them with me and with one another.
One of the most important things in Mom’s life was her kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren and she took great pride in all of them. There is a beauty and a satisfaction in seeing the result of your life’s labor to see them grow and come to fruition. In nurturing living things and helping to bring beauty and peace to the world, Mom made a difference in the world and made our lives and the lives of others who knew her even better.
I am so lucky to have had her as my mom and the gifts she gave me, for one, I was born along with my look alike best friend for life and that no small gift. I was also blessed with four more brothers and a sister.
This family, and her role as mother and grandmother, was the most important thing to Mom. This is where she drew her strength and left her legacy. Being with her family was what Mom enjoyed most of all. Her life had many obstacles, and she struggled for the last several years with a body robbing illness. Yet through it all, her love and caring for her family remained her focus, and in so many, many ways, she was able to show that love to us. This perseverance through adversity is a powerful lesson for me, and I believe it is her legacy. What a wonderful lesson she gave us. Keep your priorities straight. Keep that which is most important in focus. Love and care for your family. Let them know in all the ways you can show them that you love them. Don’t let adversities or setbacks or any of the distractions of the world keep you from this most important aspect of life. I was always amazed that her mind did not match what her body was telling her. In other words she felt like a 40 year old stuck in this 86-year-old body.
How many people in this world have it so much easier than my mom did. How many never had to face half the trouble she faced, and yet lose sight so easily of what is truly important. Many of us get distracted by insignificant things in life, many of us brood and focus on our little problems, and forget that which is most important.
I would like to thank a very special person that was a big part of my mom’s life and that is her big sister, Betty Esamann. She was so blessed to call you sister, and also to call you friend, you’ve loved each other unconditionally and stood by each other through thick and thin, you shared each others joys and sorrows, as you have grown up through the years. I don’t know how mom could have made it through all she did without your support throughout her life you made her life so much richer. I thank you from the bottom of my hart.
Story Time…. Mom and Betty on the phone. Many years ago I would go over to my moms and just sit and talk with her one on one. There were some things that she cherished that was Ice skating on TV and talking with her BIG sister, “Betty, she would want me to emphasize BIG SISTER wouldn’t she Betty?” Well thank god for the DVR she could record that so that was not an issue anymore. The other was her big sister calling her and for years we would talk and her sister would call in and the world would stop its rotation and I would not exist. So one day she called in, “while my mom and I was in deep conversation” mom would look at her phone, Robert Esamann I would take the phone from mom and answer it Joes bar and grill and boil remover Betty would apologize and hang up call back and I would do it all over again she would say, “who is this” I would reply with its Michael, Betty would say, Michael give the phone to our mother and would say ok Aunt Betty. Just in the last 3 or 4 years I would be there, mom and I in on a one on one and Betty would call in mom looks at the caller ID Robert E and automatically hand the phone over I would look at my mom and she would have this look of anticipation and excitement on here face and I would answer like Bills ear nose and throat piercing you call we stab mom would mouth to me quietly, O that was a good one and Betty would say Michael give your mother the phone. Mom gets the phone and says to Betty, O I know Betty I don’t know why he does that I just hate that…. Right.
But through everything Mom went through, she managed to keep her priorities straight. What can be more important than loving and showing your love for your family? How can some of us who are blessed with so much forget to be thankful to God, while somehow Mom kept her faith through all of her trials.
This is a wonderful legacy. This is a wonderful example to follow. Keep focused on what is truly important, not only when your life is easy, but when it is difficult too.
We’ll I’ll close today with by saying, mom is not gone she lives in each one of us and that can’t die or be taken away from us. If you have a hard decision to make, do me a favor and look into a mirror and ask, I’ll bet you’ll find her looking right back at you with the answer.
Mom would not want us to remember her fight for breath or dwell upon her death but to celebrate her life.
Michael R Swinney
1/11/18