John Lewis Swyers

John Lewis Swyers, a kind and gentle man, passed away on Saturday December 6th at age 80. John was born June 16, 1934 in Oil City, Pennsylvania. At an early age, his family moved to Ohio and then at middle school age to Independence Kansas, where he graduated from high school in 1952. He received a BA in Economics and his law degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. In 1958, he was commissioned in the United States Air Force and served in the Judge Advocate Generals Corp. While in the service, John earned a Masters of Business Administration from St. Louis University. He rose to the rank of Captain and was honorably discharged in 1961. Over the next 45 years, John’s legal career included positions as General Counsel at the Kansas Insurance Department and General Counsel at the Central National Insurance Company of Nebraska. He was a member of the Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Florida State Bars as well as the American Bar Association. In 1972 he went to work for United Services Automobile Association (USAA) in San Antonio, Texas and rose to the position of General Counsel of USAA Life Insurance Company. He was also instrumental in establishing the USAA corporate office in Tampa, Florida before retiring from the company in 1990. He then served the State of Florida in the Office of Insurance Regulation as an Assistant General Counsel retiring in 2006. During John’s career, he served as a corporate secretary for a number of companies and did extensive lobbying on insurance matters. He served as an officer on many insurance trade associations. John was a voracious reader of books, magazines and other periodicals. He loved being a member of Faith Presbyterian Church and relished studying the Bible. He especially enjoyed his friendships with those in the Men’s Bible Study which he attended faithfully every Monday at noon. His lifetime passion was following baseball. He always looked forward to surf fishing and enjoying the beach when visiting Dog Island. John’s love for wildlife and all God’s creatures was unsurpassed. John is survived by his wife Judy Snooks Swyers of 23 years; three sons, Curtis Swyers and Andrew Swyers of San Antonio Texas, Steven Swyers of Austin Texas as well as six grand children; two brothers, Charles Swyers of Wichita, Kansas and William Swyers of Independence, Kansas; two step-sons, Thomas Atkinson of Merritt Island, Florida and Troy Atkinson of Tallahassee, Florida. John is predeceased by his parents, Bert and Violet Swyers of Independence Kansas. A memorial service will be held Thursday, December 11, 2:00 PM, at Faith Presbyterian Church, 3200 Meridian Road. A reception in the church Fellowship Hall will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice or to the local Humane Society. Todd Wahlquist with Bevis Funeral Home, 850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com, is assisting the family with their arrangements.

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John Lewis Swyers

June 16, 1934 - December 6, 2014