Stephen John Swallow

A man of few words and a generous heart, devoted husband, father and friend Stephen Swallow passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, October 9, 2016. He was 65 years old. Born (and raised) in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 1, 1951, Stephen was the baby of his family. His delighted parents were Leonard John Swallow and Elnora Mae Reha Swallow, a farm machinery mechanic and a homemaker (who had worked in an armaments factory, making bullets during WWII). Stephen’s older sisters include Patricia Swallow Gorman (of West Des Moines, IA), Betty Swallow Cowman (Ankeny, IA), Judy Swallow Bannister (and husband James, of Urbandale, IA), along with twin brothers Larry and Leroy Swallow (now deceased). Indeed, Stephen was doted on by his mother and sisters, and thus, he never did any chores as a child. Instead, as both a daredevil and a speed demon, Stephen seemed also to be in a constant need of a paddling. He was ornery and loved to tease as he played catcher in neighborhood baseball games and tore around town in his go-cart, wearing more of a smirk than a smile. Over time, this love for speed led Stephen to try drag racing and perfecting high-speed donuts on icy roads around Des Moines, all while screaming like a kamikaze pilot and terrifying his sisters. A man of few words, he was sarcastic and stubborn, but full of fun. Despite his love of pranks and shenanigans, Stephen was a gifted student and successful in school, graduating from Valley High School in 1969. Later in October of that year, his oldest son, Shannon Swallow was born. Becoming a father gave Stephen the desire for direction in his life. To this end, he enlisted in the Armed Forces—initially spending two years in the Army National Guard, then twenty years in the US Air Force. Here, he learned discipline, structure and the value of planning, becoming more confident in finding his own solutions to problems as a Tech Sergeant and Crew Chief. During that period, while Stephen was stationed at Ft. McClellan in Alabama, he met Marilyn (Young) Swallow, a student at Jacksonville State University. They would drive around for hours together, simply talking, and three months later on October 1, 1976, they were married. Eventually, two more children would join their family: Brandon Swallow (and Gabriela, of Round Rock) and Jennifer Swallow (of Albuquerque, NM). Anytime his children went anywhere, Stephen wanted a debriefing about the activity; his favorite questions were often “What are you doing?” and “Where’s the receipt?” During his Air Force service, Stephen lived in various places around the globe, working on a new aircraft in each location, beginning with Bergstrom AFB in Austin and including two assignments in Germany as well as Lubbock, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and a top secret deployment in Saudi Arabia in order to ready the stealth bomber for the bombing of Baghdad during the first Gulf War. At length, Stephen and Marilyn decided to settle in Robertson County after his retirement, where they could finally enjoy the peace and quiet of the rolling hills. However, he still had a need for speed and could often be found catching up on NASCAR races and results—all while munching his favorite peanut M&Ms and wearing his signature black, blue and gray. Stephen also loved eagles and collecting guns; he was once a Winchester dealer. In addition, he and Marilyn enjoyed traveling together, especially to Yellowstone, where Stephen indulged in his love of mountain life through mountain man reenactments, giving life to American frontier skills. Every weekend, he loved getting lost on his four-wheeler and spending time in nature. Indeed, while Stephen was raised Seventh-Day Adventist and attended Bethany Baptist Church with Marilyn, he sometimes found it easier to connect with God while observing the beauty of the natural world. Remembering Stephen for his wry wit and generous heart are his sweetheart of forty years, Marilyn, along with his children Shannon, Brandon & Jennifer and their families, as well as his sisters Patricia, Betty and Judy. Stephen’s grandchildren also mark his passing and dearly miss him, including: Aaron, Codie, Shawna, Logan and Emilia. Stephen was predeceased by his parents, his brothers Larry & Leroy, and his granddaughter Haley. Come and celebrate the life of Stephen Swallow beginning with visitation from 6-8pm on Friday, October 14, 2016, at Hillier Funeral Home in Bryan. Funeral services will then be held at 11am on Saturday (October 15) at Bethany Baptist in Hearne (Blackjack). An additional visitation will take place at McCalley Funeral Home in Adel, Iowa from 10-11 AM on Wednesday, October 19 with interment to follow at Booneville Cemetery, Booneville, Iowa. Memorial contributions may be made to Bethany Baptist Church, 9250 FM 391, Hearne, TX 77859 or Door of Faith, 6701 Southwest 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50315. Online condolences may be left on this site.