Jim Swinney

Jim Swinney, 74, passed away Wednesday, July 1st, 2015.

Celebration of life: 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 9, at the First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine.

Memorials: Memorial donations may be made to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) -- Fort Worth Chapter, www.dbsafortworth.support/donations.html
Baylor All Saints Hospital Faxel Room, 1400 8th Ave Fort Worth, TX 76104.

Jim was born Dec. 30, 1940, in San Angelo, Texas to John and Joyce Swinney. Jim was a graduate of Ranger High School, Class of 1959. He then went on to the University of North Texas graduating with a degree in history in 1962. Jim served in the Air Force from 1963 - 1969, graduating from Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma and went on to fly the C-130 transport aircraft in combat operations; Vietnam, Laos, and the Belgian Congo (present day Congo). Jim loved flying and continued to fly even after getting out of the service. More important to Jim than flying was his love of family, so he chose to give his family roots by re-locating to Grapevine, Texas where he would live a full life.

Jim had a difficult time saying no to coaching just about any sport, baseball, basketball, and soccer. He coached hundreds of kids over the years and particularly focused on those kids that struggled. He coached his last team in 2014 at age 73 with Flower Mound YMCA basketball. Jim was a custom home builder and along with his framing crew that included his two sons, Ben and Marc, built several homes in Grapevine and Southlake.

Jim was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and instead of letting the condition get the best of him; he was very open about his experiences and used that to help others that suffered from the disorder. Jim gave countless hours pursuing his passion of mental health advocacy and held top leadership positions with the local, state, and national chapters of DBSA. He also served as the President of the local Mental Health Association and President of Mental Health & Mental Retardation (MHMR) Tarrant County. When asked of his reason for volunteering, Jim stated, “To promote the fair medical treatment and removal of social stigma for the mentally ill.”

Jim was a direct descendant of Thomas Love and Sally Colbert of the Chickasaw Nation. His grandmother Carrie Dillard and great grandmother Nancy Love were original enrollees of the Chickasaw Nation. He is also a descendant of the Choctaw family of Leflore's through his great grandmother Elizabeth Halsey Leflore.

Survivors: Wife, Sarah (Johnson) Swinney of Grapevine; sons, Ben and his wife Kerri of Flower Mound, Texas, Marc and his wife Dusti of Boise, Idaho; grandchildren, Sean, Luke, Connor, and Zachary.