Dr. Michael E. Swindle

DR. MICHAEL E. SWINDLE Michael Earl Swindle passed away with his wife and daughter by his side in his home in Saltillo on Tuesday, August 26th, 2014. He was born August 17th, 1947 in Tupelo, Mississippi to Lester Earl Swindle and Joyce Lavada Swindle. From being a railroad worker as a child, a lead singer in several bands as a teen, and a solider from the age of seventeen, his life never lacked in adventure. His personality, wisdom, and charm left an imprint on all of those he met over the many distances of the world he travelled. To name all of his endeavors would require the pages of a novel, not an obituary column, but here are a few. He enlisted in the Army in 1964 and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne, First Battalion, 504th Infantry. He toured in the Dominican Republic and subsequently, Vietnam, where he was recruited for the Special Forces. After exceling in his training to become a Green Beret, he returned to Vietnam for another tour and ultimately toured several other surrounding countries including Cambodia and Laos. His duties were highly classified, and the details of his and others' work in Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) was not released until years later. Upon his return from Vietnam, he completed Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia and was a Calvary Unit Officer until his retirement in 1984. He was a member of Professional Soldiers, a Green Beret Foundation. After his career in the military, he immersed himself into academia at the University of Mississippi, earning a law enforcement certification in 1986, a Master in Public Administration in 1989, and a Doctorate in Political Science in 1993. From 1987 to 1992, he was employed by Ole Miss, working under Dr. Chester Quarles and later, as a professor in the political science department. Most of his time thereafter was dedicated to raising his daughter, Skylar. He worked briefly for Securitas as Head Security Officer and for State Farm as a Catastrophe Claims Adjuster, providing services to people across the United States affected by strong storms and hurricanes. A true renaissance man, he was talented at every craft and hobby he pursued, except perhaps flying airplanes. Legal research was a forte of Michael's, but art and music remained his passions in life. He created countless works of art in the form of oil paintings, masterfully played guitar, as well as drums, bass, and harmonica, and worked endlessly on projects that demanded a host of skills. His quick and quirky sense of humor, which he attributed to the Morey Amsterdam School of Comedy Writing, will forever be remembered and missed by his family and friends. His spirit is carried on by his wife, Susan Belasco Swindle; his sons, Sean Heath Swindle of Tampa, Florida and Jon Micah Mantooth of Charlestown, South Carolina; his daughters, Skylar Dallas Swindle of Saltillo and Joyce Marie Coward of Germantown, Tennessee; several grandchildren; and one niece. Michael was reunited with his father, Lester Earl Swindle, and his mother, Joyce Lavada Swindle, who preceded him in death. Services with military honors will be held at St. James Catholic Church in Tupelo at 11:00 a.m. on Friday.