Laurence Swinson Obituary

Lawrence F. (Larry) Swinson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Vernon N. and Margaret (Peggy) Swinson. His first year of school was in the Dallas, Texas, area where his father was training pilots for combat in World War II. While Vernon was on active duty in the Army, Peggy moved the family back to Pratt, Kansas, where Larry completed his secondary education and graduated from Pratt High School in 1955. Larry attended the University of Kansas, graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Business in 1959, after which he and wife, Barbara, moved back to Pratt where Larry was employed by Swinson Motor Company until Vernon and Larry sold the dealership in 1981. In 1981, Larry was employed in the Trust Department of The Peoples Bank in Pratt, where he became interested in and adept at managing investments, which led to a position at Kidder Peabody Investment firm in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1984. Even though that investment firm changed names several times, it was the same company from which Larry retired as branch manager of Stifel Nicolaus in 2011.

In 1988, Larry was privileged to participate with thirteen other like-minded persons to form what became a church plant whose purpose was and is to worship the God of the Bible in spirit and in truth. That church plant became Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church (GEPC), which is now Grace Presbyterian Church of America (Grace PCA).

In 1958, Larry married Barbara Johnson, who survives him, along with son, Timothy (Beth Ann), son-in-law, Kenneth Green; grandchildren, Kenny Green, Kevin Green, Maia Swinson, and Eric Swinson; brother, Kenneth Swinson; sister, Janet Swinson; along with much-loved fraternal cousins, Gary Swinson, Beverly (Brown) Bartscher, Fred Swinson, and Rob Swinson; and maternal cousins, Mike Shoop, Margaret Jean Shoop, and Mark Shoop; Terry Robertson and Kathy Robertson; a niece and nephews.

Preceding Larry in death are greatly-missed daughter, Cinda Green; parents, Vernon and Peggy Swinson.

Visitation for Larry will be from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, Kansas. Funeral services will be 2:30 P.M. the following day at Grace Presbyterian Church, 3312 Calvin Drive, Lawrence, Kansas. Burial will follow at 1:00 P.M. on Friday at Greenlawn Cemetery, 1402 Stout Street, Pratt, Kansas. The family suggests memorial contributions to Grace PCA Building Fund.