Patricia A. Swineford

Patricia Ann Swineford, known to most as Pat or Patty, lived her life in nature as much as possible. She passed peacefully one day short of 69 years old. Born on the first day of spring on March 20, 1953, she lived up to her birth day with her love for flowers. Working most of her life with plants and flowers, artfully arranging beautiful blooms and greenery at various flower shops and at her home, she found one outlet for her artistic soul. Born to Jack V Swineford, Sr and Betty Swineford, both deceased, of East Stroudsburg, she was a loving younger sister to Jack Swineford, also deceased. She is survived by her sister-in law Betty Swineford, niece and Goddaughter Beth Anderson, nephew John Swineford, Aunt Elsie Beaver, a contingent of cousins, and great nephews Logan and Joshua Anderson. Pat was a peaceful person who would never hurt a fly… except for those she had to collect for her Masters in Ecology from Penn State University… those she caught, euthanized, and stabbed with a pin to display in a bug collection. She loved nature and being outside. She had a compost pile long before it was hip… which Beth and John loved to dig in to find worms for fishing. She had a plot in a community garden in Penn State back in the 80s. She always had a garden and bird watching station at her home in East Stroudsburg. When time allowed, she would visit Beth in Massachusetts and scour the beaches for driftwood, seashells and watch whales off the coast of Cape Cod. She enjoyed spending time with cousins either at family gatherings or a road trip every once in a while. While in East Stroudsburg, she enjoyed activities at East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church, including choir, bell choir, bible studies, and the Merry Martha’s cooking/baking group. She was also a big fan of PBS and could be found watching various programs while crafting beautiful works of art. Her relatives and friends cherish the works of art Pat has bestowed on them, whether they be oil paintings, oil pastels, drawings, woodworking items, felt needlework, needle point, egg scratchings, sewing, or seashell and driftwood crafts. She also enjoyed reading and learning. This love of learning prompted her to also earn a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from East Stroudsburg University and also a Master of Science in Ecology from Penn State University. She taught science at a charter school in Pocono Mountain for a few years and then Biology and Ecology classes at local community colleges. She was teaching and grading papers for her students up until her time on Earth was done. Pat has now left here, but is with her parents, brother, a few cousins and numerous aunts and uncles in Heaven. And she is surrounded by her long gone pets she loved so much… Pinky the Irish wolfhound, Pumpkin the golden retriever, and Jasper the cat. She left behind her beloved and affectionate cat Luna (or Lunatic) depending on the cat’s moods and her ducks that provided companionship, laughter, and of course… fresh eggs for baking and cooking. Visitation will be on Saturday, April 2, 2022 from 10-10:30 a.m. with funeral services beginning at 10:30 at East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church, 83 S. Courtland St, East Stroudsburg. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church or the Nature Conservancy