Early Life

Charles was born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio to parents Lowell Eugene Swigart and Eleanor Maxwell Shuman. He followed two half sisters into the world, Nancy and Roberta, though they lived in different homes. As a child, Charles was quiet and often preferred to keep to himself. He grew up in Bellville, Ohio and attended school in the nearby town of Butler. At the age of 17, he left school and joined the Navy, where he learned the machinist's trade.

Middle Years

Charles first married in his early 20s, subsequently bringing four children into the world – Sandra, Charles, Barbara, and Michael. He continued to work as a machinist in Ohio and then in Florida when he and his family relocated to Orlando in 1986. In 1988, Charles met and married his second wife and the love of his life, Jackie Collins, adding her children Wesley and Dale to his own family. He saw all of his children grow up and move out on their own to raise their own families. In all, Charles had 14 grandchildren.

Later Years

Charles continued to work until his retirement in 2008, and lived with his wife Jackie at their home in Clermont until his passing. He is survived by his wife Jackie Swigart, six children, fourteen grandchildren, and four dogs.

Those are the facts. However, the facts rarely make up the essence of who a person is and what he means to those whose lives he touches.

To his wife Jackie, he was a companion and a comfort, an equal partner and a best friend – a love that stood the test of time with the strength to weather life's challenges and to celebrate its triumphs. He was solid, dependable, easygoing, generous, and always full of humor. He kept that sense of humor to the end.

To his sister Nancy, he was a quiet boy who still managed to find enough trouble to keep his parents busy. She saw him mature into a good, strong person who provided for his wife and children and could be counted on to do what needed doing.

To his kids, he helped shape them into the people they've become. He raised them, provided for them, and most important of all, stayed there for them always. He was as constant and unchanging as the tides.

"He loved his children and grandchildren. He was always there for us and helped out any way he could. He had a great sense of humor and a seemingly endless amount of patience." - Chuck

"Dad had a big heart. You could always tell he cared and wanted to make us happy. I will always remember he would camp out on his favorite chair, and he loved his dogs." – Michael

"He was a down-to-earth person who didn't say much about himself, but could always be counted on to listen and to give sound advice. He was a good person and a good father, who was always there when you needed him. I will always see him in his favorite chair with his cup of coffee, his Reese's Cups, and at least two or three dogs trying to get his attention. Best of all, he was always ready to laugh." - Barbara

He touched a lot of lives, and to those who were fortunate enough to know him, to love him, and to be loved by him, he is unforgettable. He took life as it came to him and didn't complain that it wasn't perfect. He appreciated simplicity. He accepted others for who they were, and he never pretended to be anything he wasn't. He was comfortable with himself, and that comfort made others comfortable with him. He was very easy to love.

Charles may have passed on from this life, but his memory will never pass out of the hearts and minds of those he touched.

We'll always love you, we'll always miss you, and we'll always remember all the ways that we are better for having known you.

May God receive and keep you until we meet again.