Thomas E Swetye

Thomas Edward Swetye, 69, died October 25 at his home in Salem. Born January 27,1950, he was the son of the late Joseph A. Swetye of Salem and Josephine Mae Bowman Swetye – originally from Pierceton, Indiana.

Tom was a 1968 graduate of Salem Senior High School where he was president of his senior class, president of the Varsity S Club, treasurer of the Key Club, a captain of the varsity football team, and MVP of the track team. He was nominated to the Naval Academy but suffered a back injury and was unable to attend. He was also a delegate to Boys’ State. He was a 1972 graduate of Hiram College where he majored in French. His junior year of college was spent studying at the Institute of European Studies in Paris.

He loved to write poetry and several of his poems were published in poetry journals. He worked as a landscaper for Wilms Nursery and for Endicott Landscaping.

He is survived by his siblings: J. Michael, of Boulder, CO; Wm. James of Salem; Carol Anne Janosik of Fort Madison, Iowa; John A. of Darien, Connecticut; and Andrew P. of Salem.

A public celebration of life memorial service for family and friends will be held on November 16 at 2:00 pm at the Brown Funeral Home in Salem. Burial will follow at Woodsdale Cemetery near Guilford Lake, Ohio.

Because of Tom's illness of schizophrenia, in lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio via their website at namiohio.org or it can be mailed to 1225 Dublin Rd., Suite 125, Columbus, Ohio 43215.

Friends and family can view the obituary and sign the guest register online at www.brownfhonline.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home, Salem, 330-337-6363.