BOMBER MEMORIAL

JERRY MILLARD SWAIN ~ Class of 1954
August 25, 1936 - August 15, 2015

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Jerry, 78, of Goodyear, Arizona, passed away on August 15, 2015. He was born August 25, 1936, in Walla Walla.

He started school in Boise, Idaho, then moved to Richland where he spent most of his formative years. He was confirmed and baptized in the Central United Protestant Church, and graduated from Columbia high school as a proud Richland Bomber in 1954.

Jerry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington State University in Pullman while a member of the USAF Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Through the years Jerry also took the time to earn two different masters degrees, one in engineering and the second a MBA in Finance.

Jerry married Janice Benham, his high school sweetheart, while in college, and shortly thereafter earned his Air Force pilot wings in Texas. Jerry flew air refueling aircraft, the KC-97 and KC-135A, for the USAF, performing air refueling around the world. This included numerous combat missions based out of Thailand in support of the Vietnam War. He left active duty in 1966 but remained in the United States Air Force Reserves working as the Officer in Charge of the Command Post at McChord AFB. Jerry retired from Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel with over 20 years of service.

While still in the Air Force Reserves, Jerry culminated his career with the Boeing Airplane Company as Chief Test Pilot. He flew training, engineering tests, and delivery flights, accruing an impressive 10,845 hours of flight time. In his 35 years at Boeing he piloted the majority of the different makes and models of Boeing aircraft including but not limited to the 707, 720, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, and various military aircraft such as the E-3A AWACS, KC-135, E-6, and T-43. He also spent over two years in Toronto, Canada as the Director of Operations for the deHavilland Corporation (at that time a subsidiary of Boeing) flying the Dash-7 and Dash-8 aircraft.

Jerry was a loving husband, father, brother, and friend. He enjoyed the pursuit of foreign languages, hunting, singing in the choir, bocce ball tournaments, playing guitar and spending time with his four children.

Jerry was preceded in death by his loving wife of 46 years, Janice in 2002, and his brother, Lloyd in March, 2015.

He is survived by his four children: Deborah, David, Donna, and Daniel; his sister, Linda ('66); ten grandchildren: Chrissa, Teresa, Melissa, Alex, LaRayne, Renae, Robert, Jessica, Callie, and Jordan, and twelve great grandchildren.

Two services were held: September 1, 2015, in Goodyear, AZ and September 21, 2015, in Lakewood, WA.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the MS Society would be greatly appreciated Nat'l MS Society.

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