Thomas Gilbert Swift Obituary (1935

Thomas Gilbert Swift, 85, died peacefully just as Monday turned into Tuesday morning, December 1, 2020 at his Westminster Village apartment with his daughter by his side. Thomas was born in Detroit, Michigan on August 17, 1935, the only child of William Lawrence and Mary Eulane Gilbert Swift. He was raised in Calloway County, Kentucky on his family's tobacco farm and later above his family's grocery store on Benton Road in Paducah, Kentucky. With his parents, he traveled the country as an amateur roller skating champion, winning highest marks in his technical performance. After high school he went on to become a first-generation college graduate in chemical engineering at Purdue University in 1958. While at Purdue he married the love of his life, Mary Lou Stephens on September 2, 1957 and enjoyed 61 years of marriage until her passing in June of 2018. His career began in Lancaster, Pennsylvania at Armstrong Cork Company where his problem-solving and engineering know-how produced numerous patents. He moved to Decatur, Illinois in 1961 to continue product and process development at a newly opened research center at the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company (now Tate & Lyle), where he added to his patent count and spent the rest of his long career. Restless and always looking for new challenges and opportunities for growth, Thomas continued his education with graduate courses at Columbia University, The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), Washington University (St. Louis) and others as he assumed new roles in the company leading to his final role as Director of Far East Asian Operations. He traveled the world many times over using his skills to help companies in China, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Argentina, Chile, South Korea, to name just a few. He and his wife relocated for several years to Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong in the 1980s. He retired in the 1990s. Thomas shared his passion for travel and adventure with his whole family. He delighted in planning trips for his son and daughter and their families throughout his life. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, marathoner, tennis player, table tennis champion, and golfer. He died surrounded by photographs and mementos of past and future generations of his family who knew him as Tom, Dad and "Gramps". As he often said, "I've lived quite a life." Tom was preceded in death by his parents and wife. He is survived by two children: Cynthia Lynn (Randall) Lorimor, of Carlock, Illinois, and Craig Thomas (Rebecca) Swift of Austin, Texas; two grandsons: Barton Thomas (Jenette) Lorimor of Springfield, Illinois, and Mattheis Scott (Emma) Lorimor of LeRoy, Illinois; two great-granddaughters, Robin Eulaine and Myra Ilene Lorimor of Springfield, Illinois; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Westminster Village Foundation, Bloomington or the Community Cancer Center Foundation, Normal. Tom's remains will be inurned at the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Calloway County, Kentucky in a private ceremony at a future date. Calvert-Metzler Memorial Home in Bloomington is in charge of arrangements.