Wayne was preceded in death by both his parents: Harold Wayne Swope Sr., and Roberta "Jane" (Gooden) Swope, two brothers: Frederick "Fred" Stephan Swope, and Roy Dean Swope, and two nieces: Marcy Lefler and Darcy Lefler. Wayne is survived by his wife, Shelli (Howarter) Swope of Canton, IL., his two daughters, Katy Wayne (Swope) and her husband Nicholas Tinsman (of Canton, IL.), and Samy Randol (Swope) and her husband Paul Gonstal, (of Elk Grove Village, IL.). Wayne is survived by one brother, James and Linda Swope (of Maples Mill, IL.). Wayne is also survived by his four grandchildren: Ethan Samuel Tinsman and Liddy Chavis, (of East Peoria, IL.), Taylor Reese Tinsman, (of Rome, Italy), Owen Daniel Tinsman, and Claire Nickole Tinsman, and Bean, Noodle, and Pickle Gonstal (the best grandpups around). Wayne was looking forward to becoming a great-grandfather for the first time [in April of 2024].
Wayne is also survived by many nieces and nephews: Adam and Jen Swope (of Heyworth, IL.), Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin and Addie Swope (of Yuma, AZ.), Naomi (Swope) and Jason Elkin (of Fort Mill, SC.), Jay and Chastity Swope (of Canton, IL.), Jeannie (Swope) and Rob Miller (of Canton, IL.), Sarah (Lefler) and Chris Whitt (of Texas), Meagan Morse and Shannon Miller (both of Canton, IL), Jodi and Doug Gohde (of Cuba, IL.), Sharlyn (Utsinger) and Derek McKinney (of Bartonville, IL.), Arkie and Liz Utsinger, Raif Matthews, Cole Matthews, Zachary Howarter, Tara Howarter (all of Canton, IL), Kristen (Howarter) and Jake Beoletto (of Canton, IL), and Allie (Howarter) and Chris Dykes (of Sunnyland, IL.), and Amber Stieghorst (of Tremont, IL.).
Wayne was born in Phillipsburg, PA, to Harold Wayne Swope Sr., and Roberta "Jane" (Gooden) Swope, on December 25, 1945. His family later moved to Farmington, IL, where his maternal family owned and operated the local General Store. Wayne's parents went on to give him three more brothers, and the four Swope boys were raised within a culture of feral boyhood. Along with living a life a lost boy could only dream of, Wayne grew up to develop love of learning, reading, and spending time with his grandma Naomi. He watched as his grandmother, a teacher, instructed English as a second language to local migrants, as he acquired his strong work ethic from his grandfathers who served throughout the local coalmine operations.
Wayne, along with his younger brothers; Fred, Jim, and Roy, would escape the dog days of summer outside of Yates City, at Happy Hollow Lake, where his family had a cabin. According to Wayne, at Happy Hollow, life was GOOD. Wayne did not like following the rules at home, and often skipped out to see what he could get into at the Hollow. There, these four, feral boys would camp, fish, hunt, build campfires, rope swing, skinny-dip, tell stories, target practice, chase girls, and raise hell all year long (all unsupervised, of course.) Wayne attended Farmington schools, and eventually, after a mid-year move, graduated from Canton High School. He also completed one year of post-high school education at both M.T.I. and Palmer School of Chiropractic.
After high school, Wayne followed in his parent's footsteps, electing to serve his country in the United States Armed Forces. Wayne's father had previously served and retired as an officer and decorated Fighter Pilot During WWII; his mother served the war efforts also, assisting with the WASP program. During the Vietnam War era, Wayne served both as a German Interpreter and a Medic, in a military hospital, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Although his intent in going into the military was to first be in the aviation area of the Air Force, both his daughters carried his medical torch well into their own futures.
He worked for another 25 years as a Brakeman and a Conductor for the BNSF Railroad, of Galesburg, IL, retiring in 1991. In this role, he met his life-long, besf·friend, Craig Hand. This duo would forever be the inseparable grumpy old men. Please plan to attend the funeral service if you want to hear the good stories.
Wayne was known for being a family man. After a long wait, he finally married the love of his life, Shelli Howarter, on June 26, 1982, at the First Baptist Church, in Canton, IL. The couple had two girls, five years apart: Katy Wayne, and Samy Randol. Although their personalities and preferences were opposites, their shared sense of humor, and their shared love of their Daddy made it easy to see how he became wrapped around their fingers so quickly. Wayne never missed any of his girls' events.
Although he appeared to be such a man's man, he was 100% a girl dad through and through. He was the first one to stop the tractor for a cup of tea at the tea party, or run to town for tampons at midnight. Wayne became a friend to everyone, and an honorary brother, uncle, and/or father to anyone who needed one. He served as a youth leader for more than 20 years, and would teach anyone anything he knew. If you came to the "Swope Ranch," you were safe, loved, included, and fed, (but get ready to work too!)
Wayne loved playing cards competitively - specifically poker, pitch, and acey/ducey. He played the piano, had an incredible vpice, and instilled a love music into his girls. Wayne loved the violin, cello, balalaika, bagpipes, all classical music, Willie Nelson, Slim Whitman, and Patsy Cline. He was an avid sportsman and outdoorsman, enjoying every hunting season available to him throughout the year. Wayne was a ballistics expert, and enjoyed reloading, sighting in guns, hunting anything in season, and making and sharpening knives. He was a quilter, a bread baker, and was THE OG homesteader. You could steal his heart with a big meal, or anything to do with shotguns, rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns, reloading, cold steel knives, blow guns, patriotism, types of fungi/trees/plants/leaves/animals/fish/etc., Braveheart, and/or explosives.
“Every man dies, not every man really lives.”- William Wallace (Braveheart)
Please join us for Memorial Services:
When: Saturday, April 6th
Where: Sedgwick Funeral Home and Crematorium, Canton, IL Visitation: 10:30 am -11:30 am
Funeral: 11:30 am -12:30 pm
Graveside: 12:30 pm @ Oak Ridge Cemetery in Farmington, IL.
In lieu of Memorials, donations can be made to Youth Acres, through Ipava State Bank, Canton, IL.
Memo: Wayne Swope Memorial
A note from Katy: Prior to transitioning into hospice care, my dad's one request was to live out the time he had left, symptom free, like he did as a boy at Happy Hollow.
During the last the last few days of life, we were given a gift. He experienced the most
beautiful, end of life rally I have ever witnessed in either my personal or professional life. My Dad, who had prior to hospice, not been able to tolerate minimal activity without having chest pain, dyspnea, and extreme activity intolerance, was suddenly able to navigate hiking, walking long distances, fishing, singing, yodeling, dancing with Mom in the kitchen, skipping down hills, falling in ponds, telling stories, roasting hot dogs by the campfire, and returned from his day out with the neighborhood "Sandlot Boys" smelling like boy sweat and outdoors, with a smile plastered on his face a mile wide. He said, "If I die tonight, I die a happy man. I have died with my boots on. Today, I went to Happy Hollow, with Roy (Owen), Fred (Nolan), and Jim (Dash)." The next afternoon, he was somnolent, and never woke up again. I write this through tears ones of both unbridled happiness and profound grief. You young boys gave up your spring break to give my Daddy what we have coined as "four beautiful days." I cannot thank you enough. Because of this, our family would like to make all three of you, honorary pallbearers.
LONG LIVE FERAL BOYHOOD!
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