Obituary of Raymond E. Swartz

Raymond E. Swartz entered into eternal life on October 12, 2016. Ray had a 6 month battle with Lymphoma. He was doing very well and was nearing the end of his chemotherapy treatments when new symptoms started presenting. Ultimately, it was confirmed that the cancer had metastasized and spread quickly, but Ray fought hard until the very end. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Bethany United Methodist Church on Sunday October 16th .The family will be receiving friends and family at 2:30 p.m and the service will begin at 3:30 p.m. In Lieu of flowers we are asking for gift cards in any amount to any store/restaurant. The gift cards will be divided and mailed to the ICU staffs at both the Charleston VA Hospital and the Augusta VA Hospital. There will also be a basket to drop off donations for Bethany Methodist Church in Ray’s honor. Ray was born on October 11, 1931 in Wooster, Ohio, son of the late John and Mary Swartz. Ray graduated from Wooster High School in 1949. He worked on his father’s farm until he entered the United States Army in 1954. Ray graduated from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School, University of Virginia in 1957. Ray served as a military court reporter in the offices of the Staff Judge Advocate of the 4th Armored Division and & the Seventh Army Support Command in Germany from 1957-1960; 3rd Army, Fort Jackson, S.C. 1961- 1963; Civilian court reporter, Fort Jackson , S.C. 1963-1964; Official state court reporter for the Ninth Judicial Circuit 1965- 1975. In 1970 Ray formed the Charleston Reporting Service, the first free-lance court reporting firm in the state of South Carolina. The Charleston Reporting Service later to became, Ray Swartz & Associates of South Carolina. He retired from Ray Swartz and Associates in 1996, but continued to work full time for a few of his favorite attorneys until he started Chemotherapy treatments in June 2016. Ray loved spending time with his family and friends, reading, camping, walking in the mornings, watching airplanes in the sky, listening to Mustang engines roar, doing projects around the house, and petting his cat, Queen Sheba. Ray enjoyed spending his leisure time watching basketball and football games on television. North Carolina, Duke, Clemson and South Carolina were some his favorite teams to follow. He also liked to watch Judge Judy and America’s Got Talent. Ray most loved being a husband. He cherished and adored his first wife Micki who died of Cancer in 2001. Ray was thankful and felt blessed that God gave him a second shot of happiness when he met and fell in love with Diane Blair Swartz “Suga”. Ray is survived by his wife, Diane Blair Swartz; 5 daughters, Sharon Tillett (Michael) Summerville, SC , Mary Lou Law (Chris) Winfield, KS, Jackie Cope, Manhattan, KS, Jenni Kilgore (Frankie) N. Charleston SC, Jackie Blair (Michael) Wilmington NC. 16 Grandchildren and 27 Great Grandchildren.