James T Swann

Obituary for James (Jim) T Swann

Jim was born on November 18th , 1926 in Bowie, Texas.  Passed away on October 22nd, 2019.  He was preceded in death by his mother Nova in 1981, and wife Delores (Dee) in 2009.  Jim is survived by his three children: Jim (Jr) and his wife Emma, daughter Mary (MacInnis) and husband Steve, and daughter Jerry (Santoniello) and her husband John.  Jim had three grandchildren: Tristan, Stephanie and her husband Ben, and Erica and her husband Eric.  Jim had two great-grandchildren, Nathaniel and Ari.  He has additional family members located in San Antonio and Amarillo, Texas.  Jim’s family emigrated to Amarillo at an early age.  Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War Two and fought in the Pacific and was stationed in Japan and was honorably discharged in 1946.  He met his future wife while in California and married shortly thereafter.  Jim and Dee soon moved to the Albuquerque area and he started a career with the Santa Fe Railroad.  He retired from the railroad in the 1970’s and began to work as a union organizer.  He was a driving force that got the Solid Waste Division and the Albuquerque Firefighters unionized.  He became the chief negotiator for the city of Albuquerque before retiring in 1992.  Jim was an avid hunter and fisherman.  Jim and Dee travelled the U.S. and in Mexico before settling down in both the towns of Aztec and Farmington, NM and would become a fixture on the San Juan River where he frequently fished.  Starting in the late 1960’s he joined the San Juan Fly Fishing Organization and helped in getting improvements made along the river.  Soon after Dee passed in 2009, Jim would move with his dog Stormy to Rio Rancho, NM to be closer to family. 

Our Family would like to give a thank you to the people of Armada Hospice and Home Healthcare for making Jim’s life much more comfortable during his stay at home.  A special thank you to Pam Fuller for her kindness and gentle care towards Jim in his final years.  Thank you to Debra Washington for also assisting in care towards Jim in the final few months, and lastly thank you to Tristan for helping and taking care of Jim too, in his final years.

The world lost a good, caring and gentle man.  Rest in peace.

A Memorial Gathering will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Daniels Family Funeral Services – Southern Chapel, 2400 Southern Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho, NM. 

Daniels Family Funeral Services

2400 Southern Blvd. SE Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124

505-891-9192 / www.danielsfuneral.com