Nellie Jean Swift

Nellie Jean Swift of Lynn Haven Florida went home to be with the Lord on November 8, 2018. She was 78 years old born December 12, 1939 in Port Saint Joe, Florida to the late Timothy Cooper and Ruby Sylvester. She was taken to Erie, Pa., as a child, by her late Aunt Nellie Mae Ramey (Jerome) who raised her as her daughter. She acquired the name ‘Barbara Jean’ as a child. She was educated in the Schools of Erie, Pa. attending the Penn School for Elementary and Academy High School for Junior and Senior High. She graduated from Academy High in 1958. She took classes at Gannon University advancing her knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting. Her work life began as a teenager where she worked as a secretary at the Second Baptist Church Pastored by Reverend A. H. Hunter. After graduation from high school she worked for W. T. Grant department store and the Boston Store. She moved to New York with her good girlfriend Jean Franklin where she worked in several department stores. Returning to Erie she went to work as an administrative assistant in the engineering department of Lord Manufacturing Company. While working at Lord Manufacturing, she took a part time job at the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Erie, teaching Typing and Office Practices to students of the Vocational training school. During this time, she participated in the preparation of Grant proposals for funding the school’s programs. She was subsequently hired full time by The O.I.C. finance office to track expenditures and submit reports on grants from the U. S. Department of Labor, The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs, and the Ford Foundation. She was subsequently hired by the City of Erie to work on the financial requirements of the Model Cities Program funded by the U. S. Department of Housing and Community Development. Audited the books of the participating Agencies recipients under the Model Cities Programs. Her work history continued to grow in Baltimore where she relocated in 1973 holding several part time positions before settling into a permanent position with The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as an Administrator in the Office of Student Services. This position covered services of Student Housing in Reid Hall and off campus Housing; International Student Services (including VISA Services); Participation in Medical Admissions for new student orientation into the School of Medicine, the School of Hygiene and Public Health, the School of Nursing, and the School of Health Services. The position included in administration of the Denton Cooley Center (Initiated by and named after the renowned Cardiologist) for athletic activity to students and staff including Tennis courts and a Gymnasium offering conditioning services, and a Swimming Pool. The Office of Cultural Affair functioned out of this office under the direction of Dr. George Udverheyl the Neurosurgeon who recruited to Hopkins and trained Dr. Ben Carson. Cultural Affairs was responsible for the Noon Day Symposia featuring Prominent; Medical, Civic, World Authorities, Musical, Public Speaking and other Dignitaries conducting speaking and other performances of interest to the Johns Hopkins community. These duties covered the scheduling and paying for travel of such Dignitaries as Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, World Renowned Cellist Yoh Yoh Ma, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s compatriot and colleague Dr. Levi Watkins a renowned Cardiologist, to name a few of those she contacted and served. The major duties of this position entailed the Financial function of the office in conjunction with the University Director of Finance, including Payroll, submission of Grant requests, Accounting for the use of funds from the various funding sources including The University Budgets, the National Institutes of Health, National Institute for the Humanities, State and Federal Sources, Foundation Grants, and Individual Grants, Bequeaths and Gifts. She was recognized by the University in 2005 for 30 years of service with a Gold Watch. She retired from the University on January 1, 2007 after suffering a stroke and being unable to return to work. Over the period that she lived in Baltimore she made a home for the family and extended family. Her home was open to those in need of a Hand Up. She provided lodging to many family members and adopted others turning them into Family members. She offered all that she had without restraint or expectation of remuneration. She took in individuals on their way up in life and those having life crises and dedicated herself to assisting in uplifting them. She took in Families which were in transitional situations, helping them through whatever the transition required. She moved her Mother into her home and cared for her until she passed away. She counts among children and special adults who have been recipients of her larges her extended family. Many of them are here today. Her belief in God and Jesus undergirded her approach to life. She was active in Bible Study while a member of The Ark Church, holding sessions in our home and in homes and small groups around Baltimore with other study groups led by Ethel Wilson, a respected spiritual leader. After moving to Florida she took up her church work in the Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. She served the church in many capacities including her teaching of the youth in Vacation Bible School which she loved and brought innovative techniques and special attention. She participated with the Woman’s Ministry led by her Beloved Co-Pastor Rev. Lula Williams. She composed program documents and flyers for church programs covering all ministries when needed. She took great pride and dedication in the generation of the weekly Church Bulletin for eight (8) years, many times coming up with themes, led by the Holy Spirit, that reflected the Pastor’s Sunday Sermon without any prior talk with the Pastor. She loved and respected her Pastor, Rev. Jerome Williams. She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Refair McGinnis; father, Timothy Cooper; her mother, Ruby Sylvester; her aunts, Nellie Mae Ramey, Mabel Stanley; brother, Timothy Cooper, Jr.; cousins, Ruth McNair, Jesse Mae Griggs, Johnnie B. Griggs, Linda Faye Jones, Elinor Jackson Wood. She is survived to mourn her passing are her husband, Willian C. Swift; three sons, Peter Sierra, Omar Kahlif Swift (Kimberly) of Charlotte North Carolina, Ben Musa Swift (Dion) of Franklin Ohio; a brother-in-law, Louis Swift (Susan) of Denver, Colo.; a sister-in-law, Mary Howard of Conneaut, Ohio; three daughters, Michelle Parker of Baltimore Maryland, Anita Truitt of Baltimore Maryland, Mattie Washington of Panama City Florida, Joyce Tyler of Baltimore Maryland; five grandsons, Darren Swift and Daniel Swift of Franklin Ohio, Omar Swift, Jr, of Baltimore Maryland, Nikko Smith of Lynn Haven Florida and the U.S. Army, Jason Carter of Baltimore; four granddaughters, Alecia Reed of San Antonio Texas, Jasmin Whittington and Makala Whittington of Salisbury Maryland, Omyra Swift of Baltimore, Maryland; one great-granddaughter, Brooklyn Reed of San Antonio Texas; five nephews, Lawrence Harris (Wilma) of Brandywine Md., Carlton Bosley(Renee) of Baltimore, Md., Steven Lockett (Brenda) of Cleveland, Ohio, Calvin Gunter of Ashtabula, Ohio, William Gunter of Conneaut, Ohio; seven nieces, Zakia McGregor (Harry) of Upper Marlboro, Md., Vivian Kufuo (Nim) of Warner Robins, Ga., Sharon Bosley and Magira Ross of Baltimore, Md., Faith Ross, Teresa Lewis, and Adija Diamante, of Denver Colo; Seven cousins Lynette Murphy (Ronald), Beverly Anderson (Daniel) of Wewahitchka, Fl., Brenda McNair of Lynn Haven, Fl., Carroll McNair of Panama City, Fl., Johnny B. Griggs, Jr. of Dothan, Ala., Jackie Farmer (Clifford) of Lynn Haven, Fl., Elaine Murphy (William) of Panama City, Fl. She also leaves two beloved godsons, Tramello Carter, Triston Carter of Panama City Florida and several other godsons and goddaughters from the Church Family. She leaves a special friend from childhood, Sarah Smith (James) of Silver Springs, Md.

Tributes

Nellie Jean Swift

December 12, 1939 - November 8, 2018