Richard Swigart, Class of 1962

07-23-2023

Richard Swigart ’62 died July 23, 2023. He was born on May 20, 1936, in Barberton, Ohio, the second son of the late Ford H., Sr. ’20, and Edna (Harter) Swigart. He graduated from Barberton High School in 1954 and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Otterbein College (in Lambda Gamma Epsilon Kings fraternity) and a master’s degree in counseling from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
He worked as a probation officer for Summit County Juvenile Court before moving to New Philadelphia in 1973 for a position at Community Mental Healthcare from which he retired in 1998 after 25 years of service. For ten years after his retirement, he was a substitute teacher in the New Philadelphia City Schools and Buckeye Career Center.
He is survived by his wife Agnes Kauffman; daughters Gwen ’93 (Brian ’93) Nichols and Ellen ’96 (Doug ’95) Wolfe; grandchildren Carson Nichols, Mabry Nichols, Griffin Wolfe, and Bria Wolfe; nephews and niece Kirk (Jill) Swigart, Steven Swigart and Dana Kaye Hamilton.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brother and sister-in-law Ford H., Jr. ’51, and Kaye Swigart ’56, and his wife’s parents Wendell and Grace Kauffman.