Larry Sam Swearengen, 79, died May 14, 2023, at his home. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on June 3, 2023, at St. Columb’s Episcopal Church in Ridgeland with visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. concluding with a Reception in the Parish Hall
Larry was born on September 20, 1943, in Grenada, the son of the late Thomas Steven Swearengen and Louise Hardy Swearengen. The family moved to Water Valley where Larry enjoyed growing up where everybody knew him. After graduating high school at Water Valley Larry continued his education at Mississippi State University, where he played in the last Liberty Bowl to be held in Philadelphia. He is perhaps best known for the MSU/Alabama game of 1963 in which he intercepted a Joe Namath pass for an MSU pick six. He was the first member of his family to graduate college. Larry enjoyed success coaching youth sports in his younger years.
He is preceded in death by two brothers. Robert Earl Swearengen and Thomas Steven Swearengen, Jr. (Betty Ruth) and sister, Genora Holloway (Charlie).
Larry had a long and successful career at the Mississippi Department of Mental Health as the Director of the Division of Community Services and enjoyed helping others. He retired from the Department of Mental Health in 2000 where he received the Kinloch Gill award in 2000 for Outstanding Service in the field of Mental Health.
Larry continued in the field of mental health as serving twice as the Executive Director of the National Alliance of Mental Health of Mississippi, advocating services for consumers and families who struggle with mental illness. Larry had a gift of strategic planning and vision that allowed him to develop and implement mental health programs aimed at empowering staff and consumers and their families. In 1985, Larry became the Executive Director of the Region 15 Mental Health Care Center in Vicksburg. His vision and leadership allowed the center to move out of debt and initiate services to improve the lives of the consumers, their families and staff.
He enjoyed reading, golfing, eating out and laughing with his family and friends.Larry participated in fostering and then adopting many adult rescue dogs. His nickname of Big Solid came about as a result of the bond he shared with his first rescue dog, Amos. They were known as the Solid Boys as they were always together, Amos being Little Solid and Larry being Big Solid.
The Deerfield Duffers led by Larry engaged the Packer Hackers (from Madison, WI) for the Dixie Cup Challenge and played possibly the coldest golf match ever played. The WI team, on the way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, made the brief stop over for this epic game of golf.
Attendance at Super Bulldog weekends and reuniting with the Liberty Bowl Dogs of 1963 was an exercise in sharing old memories, bemoaning two-a days and the telling, enhancing and retelling of so many games, plays , coaches and other shenanigans.
Larry was also known for his energetic and often colorful commentary watching MSU Bulldogs on television. On one occasion his wife transcribed his ‘critiques’ of various plays and sent them to her mentor, David Zimmerman, PhD of the University of Wisconsin, who to this very day dissolves into hysterical laughter at some of the phrases he’d obviously never heard before.
Larry is survived by his two children, who he adored from the day they were born, Robert Powell Swearengen and Lindsey Shannon Swearengen Taylor. Three grandchildren, followed by David Benton Taylor, Sara Powell Taylor, and his wife of 38 years, Janne Patterson Swearengen. Preceded in death by Camryn Elizabeth Taylor.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) so they may continue to support rescue and rehabilitation of homeless and abused animals.
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