Tony Swanwick

(From Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home)

Tony Swanwick, 64, of rural Chetopa, passed away at 6:37 p.m., Saturday, July 17, 2021, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin.

Robert Anthony Swanwick was born on January 29, 1957, to Robert Eugene “Bob” and Bobbie Lou (Burrows) Swanwick in Oswego, Kansas. Tony lived his entire life in the Chetopa area. 

In 1975, he graduated from Chetopa High School. He then attended and played baseball at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, for a time, before earning his Bachelor’s degree in education at Pittsburg State University in 1979.

Tony taught seventh grade math and science at Bartlett Grade School for 42 years and coached basketball, football and track for many of those years. Those who knew him well know that Tony took his job of molding the young men and women he taught and coached into productive and contributing members of society very seriously. Mr. Swanwick or Coach Swanwick, as his students still think of him, even many years later, was known for his sense of humor, toughness, clever sayings and his love of pushups as a form of discipline.

As a former high school and college athlete and coach, Tony’s love for sports never faded. His favorite was watching his two sons, Jordan and Erik, or his beloved Kanas Jayhawks play basketball. But he never passed up an opportunity to watch a baseball or football game either and was happiest when he could enjoy – or especially critique – games with his family, whether in person, by phone or via text. Road trips to ball games with his sons – whether to see the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Kansas City Royals (in the World Series!) or the Jayhawks – were highlights of his life.

If you were Tony’s friend, you were his friend for life and his life was blessed and enriched by numerous lifelong friendships. We should all be so lucky as to have the love and support of friends that Tony enjoyed throughout his life.

On August 20, 1987, Tony and Terrie Jones were united in marriage in Florida. She preceded him in death on February 1, 2021.

Survivors include:

Two sons – Jordan Swanwick and his wife, Sammy, of Carl Junction, Missouri

Erik Swanwick of Vinita, Oklahoma

Two grandchildren – Lola Swanwick and Sutton Swanwick

One sister – Beccy Yocham and her husband, Keith, of Lenexa, Kansas

One nephew – Cole Swanwick of Leavenworth, Kansas

His dog – Jasper

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Terrie; and one brother, Larry Swanwick.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 24, 2021, at Tony’s second home, the Bartlett Grade School in Bartlett. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Chetopa. Friends may view Coach Swanwick and sign the register from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. The funeral service can be viewed live on the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home Facebook page.

Memorials are suggested to the Bartlett Grade School Wild Program, which Tony loved and supported because it got kids outside and off their “rears”. Please make checks payable to Bartlett Activities Assoc/WILD. These may be left at or mailed to Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 346, Chetopa, KS 67336.