Obituary of Mary Swink

Mary Andrews Swink Mary Swink, 87, of Charlotte, NC died January 14, 2010 at Mercy Hospital following a brief illness. Mary was born December 16, 1922 in Asheboro, NC, the youngest of four children to Nathan Spenser Andrews and Lillian Etta Walker Andrews. Following graduation from Asheboro High School she attended High Point University where she received a Bachelors Degree in Education. She later got her Masters Degree from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte in Early Childhood Education. Mary taught school for 31 years and was a member of the Beta Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma promoting professional growth of woman educators and excellence in education. She loved teaching and making an impact on children?s lives. Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Reverend Dr. Ray Franklin Swink. They were married for 57 years at the time of his death on February 15, 2005. Ray was a member of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church for forty-two years where he and Mary worked as a team in service to churches in the Gastonia District, the Davidson Charge, Oakley UNC in Asheville, Granite Falls UNC, Commonwealth UNC in Charlotte, First UMC in High Point and the Albermarle District. Mary was a resident of Aldersgate Retirement Community. She had many friends at Aldersgate and was active as a Hall Representative and Friends in Deeds continuing her life of service and supporting others. Mary was a member of Myers Park United Methodist Church and the Fellowship Sunday School Class which she loved. Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Nathan and Lillian Andrews; brother, Joseph Andrews of Greensboro and sister, Lena Andrews Bortner of Asheboro. She is survived by a daughter, Sandra Swink Bobbitt and her husband J.Wes Bobbitt, grandchildren, Jennifer Raye Bobbitt and Andrew Reid Bobbitt of Charlotte; her sister, Ina Elizabeth Andrews of Asheboro; niece Anne Bortner Burkhead of Fort Mill, SC; nephew Numa Andrews of Morehead City and niece Anna Smith of Greensboro. A service of celebration will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, January 18, 2010 at Myers Park United Methodist Church with The Reverend Dr. James Howell and Reverend Bill Roth officiating. The family will receive friends in Jubilee Hall of the Church following the service. The family will host a visitation for Mary?s friends at Aldersgate Retirement Community at 2:00 PM on Sunday, January 17 in the Fellowship Hall at Aldersgate. The family requests that memorials be sent to World Outreach Mission Programs at Myers Park United Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207 and the Supplementary Assistance Fund at Aldersgate Retirement Community, Attention: Development, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215.