Charles A, Swett Obituary:

Charles Allen Swett, age 89, passed away July 20 2025 in Maryville Tennessee. He was born December 16, 1935, in Blenheim, South Carolina, and was the sixth child of Lowry and Grace Lawson Swett. With the arrival of a younger brother, the family grew to four sons and three daughters. Charles always said he was truly blessed to be part of a large and loving family and grow up in a close-knit community. Some of his fondest childhood memories were of the summer days spent with his friends fishing and swimming in the nearby creeks. He attended Blenheim Grammar School and Lower Marlboro High School through the tenth grade until he moved with his parents to Charlotte, NC. He was a 1953 graduate of Charlotte's Myers Park High School and was a member of the Chantilly Baptist Church. Shortly after graduation, Charles began dating his bride-to-be, Shirley Jones. He entered the Air Force in June 1956, beginning a 30- year career in the Air Force. Upon completion of basic training, Charles married Shirley, a marriage lasting 56 years until her death in 2012. Although a military career had its hardships, Both Charles and Shirley agreed that the opportunities to travel, live in different locales and climates, and meet and make friends with people from diverse backgrounds, far exceeded the hardships. During an overseas tour in Turkey, their son Steven was born in 1975. Through the years, Charles and family maintained close ties with the folks back home, making trips whenever possible to attend the family gatherings they loved. Charles retired from the Air Force in 1986 with the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. He served overseas tours in Iceland, North Africa, Greenland, and Turkey. At his retirement, Charles stated how proud and honored he was to have served his country for 30 years. He acknowledged that without the love and support of Shirley, his career would have been next to impossible. In 1989, he began a new career with Litton Computer Services in Dayton, Ohio, working for that company until his retirement in 1998. After Shirley's retirement from her Civil Service job in 2000, they moved to Sun City Center, FL to enjoy their retirement years. Charles was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, brothers Lawson, John Albert, and Lee, sisters Mary Grace Donaldson, Dorothy Phillips and Bobbie Ann Black, and his sweet and loving canine companion for many years, Penny. He is survived by his son, Steve, daughter-in- law Jessica, granddaughter Cassie, sister-in-law Genell Swett, brother-in-law Pete Jones (Darlene), sisters-in-law Judy Kiser (Lee) and Gail Dixon (Robert) and several nieces and nephews. Burial will be in the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Lyon's View Pike, Knoxville, TN, on a date yet to be determined.