Obituary
Marion Edith Swaby (née Wallace), born September 14, 1944, peacefully joined the angels in heaven on March 13, 2022. She is survived by her daughters, Keri Swaby of Blacksburg VA and Tara Davis of Orlando FL and their families, including grandchildren Simon, Luke, Nina, Leah, and Ella; stepchildren Stephen Swaby of Citrus Heights CA, Darryl Swaby of Pearland TX, Yasmin Jordan of Loomis CA, Geoffrey Swaby of Sargent TX, and Dean Swaby of Australia and their families; and sister Bettie Wilkinson of Ireland.
Marion was born and grew up in Limerick, Ireland and bravely embarked on a banana boat to Jamaica when she was only 21 to become a PE teacher at the Bishop Gibson High School for girls in Mandeville. She later joined the faculty at Belair, where she remained until retirement. Her impact on children and sports in Central Jamaica still resonates today. Marion then took a second life-changing adventure and immigrated to Orlando FL, where she made her final home.
A woman of deep faith, Marion was gentle, soft-spoken, and self-effacing, but her kindness and generosity of spirit were well known and felt by all who knew her. Marion was always ready to put the needs of family and friends before hers and ensure that everyone else was taken care of. She was most satisfied getting things done behind the scenes. Athletic, young in spirit and fun loving, Marion was the heart and soul of her family. She was a lifelong Girl Guide, sports fanatic, lover of nature and being outdoors, avid walker, skilled knitter, dangerous “sly fox” at Kalooki, and champion domino player.
Her loss has left a deep void in our lives, but we are comforted in the certainty that she is joyfully reunited with her beloved Keith. We are particularly comforted knowing that she is no longer in pain and can now celebrate joyously with the angels. May she rest in perpetual peace…
A memorial service to celebrate the life of Marion will be held at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park FL in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, a fund is being established to support sports in Central Jamaica.
Kind...loving...playful...hardworking...energetic...talented... are all words that come to mind when we think of Marion. She was Grandma most of all though, and so proudly devoted to her 5 grandchildren.
To them - and to Keri and Tara and all her family - we send our deepest sympathy and fondest love... Barbie, Keith, Stuart and Gordon