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<em>Paul Charles (Jessup) Swain</em> was born in New Orleans, LA, to the infamous evan­gelist J. Charles Jessup. (Oral Roberts and Elvis Presley both claimed he was their role model). Paul’s mother divorced Jessup and moved to Texas with Paul. There she mar­ried Ken Swain, who adopted Paul. Ken and Kathyln had two children, Ken Swain, Jr. and Patty Swain. In addition, Kathlyn’s brother, Paul Charles Knobloch, called “Uncle Sunny,” lived with the young family for a period of time. Uncle Sunny later had a steeplejack business and hired Paul when he was close to sixteen. Paul had a close relation­ship with his uncle, as he did with his half brother and sister. He grew up in Texas and lived in Conroe and the Houston area most of his life, except while attending West Point and serving in the Army.</p>
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Paul was known for his smiling spirit even when he was faced with the rigors of Plebe year and the challenges of the Academic Department. Paul’s outgoing personality and enthusiasm served him well as one of the Academy’s cheerleaders, a Class Committee representative and a member of the Debate Council and Forum.</p>
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Paul was athletic and showed his quick­ness, agility and determination when he won the Brigade Boxing Championship in his weight class as a plebe and as a member of the B squad gymnastic team. Paul’s ath­letic activities were interrupted when he was hospitalized after jumping off the barracks roof into a snow bank, hitting a snow cov­ered railing and breaking both of his heels. During his recovery, he often visited with Steve Waldrop, a fellow classmate and Texan recovering from surgery on his knee after a football injury. This led to a close friendship as Steve and Paul later became neighbors in the Kingwood area near Houston and frequently met for breakfast or lunch. Steve described Paul as a very religious man who served in many capacities in the churches that his family attended. Steve said Paul was very involved in community affairs, educa­tional issues and often spoke out against the rise of secular humanism. He regarded Paul as a very good friend.</p>
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Following graduation, Paul joined the Artillery and completed the Basic Artillery Officer Course and Nuclear Warhead Assembly School at Ft. Sill, OK. He married classmate Bill Chamberlain’s sister Linda and then joined the 21st Artillery at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Toni Lee and Kimberly Grace, two of their three daughters, were born in Hawaii. Paul’s leadership was recog­nized when his unit was designated the Most Outstanding Small Unit in the Pacific. Paul resigned from the Army in 1964 as a captain.</p>
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Paul and his family returned to the Houston area, where he joined Uncle Ben’s Rice Co. as an engineer. While working, Paul recognized that the foundation for a new fac­tory did not look quite right. He measured the foundation and found that footings were 1.8" off. Correction of the error before the building was completed resulted in a cost sav­ings equal to several years of his salary. After four years with Uncle Ben’s and two years with an industrial maintenance company as a vice president, Paul started his own busi­ness, Swain Restoration Company, in 1971. Paul was well known in his part of the coun­try for his expertise in restoring commercial buildings, churches and homes of histori­cal value. He was highly recommended by the Historical Societies of the Southwest. As a history buff, Paul enjoyed the research many jobs required as well as the challenge of restoring an edifice to its original form. The company completed over 3,600 restora­tion contracts on historical properties in the Southwest, including the historic Bishop’s Residence and The Moody Mansion in Galveston and the Capitol in Austin.</p>
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Family life was very important to Paul. Allison Paige, Paul and Linda’s third daugh­ter was born in 1965 in Houston. She suf­fered from cystic fibrosis and endured fre­quent treatment at Texas Children’s Hospital and passed away after turning 21. All three of Paul’s daughters were outstanding young women and were recognized in <em>Who’s Who Among American High School Students.</em> Toni Lee and Kimberly Grace also were named to <em>Most Outstanding Young Women of America. </em>Both daughters graduated from Oral Roberts University. Toni Lee married David Fowler and blessed Paul and Linda with ten grand­children. Kimberly Grace married Greg Goodman and added six grandchildren.</p>
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Paul was very active in his community and church. He served in the Eldership of the Evangelistic Temple for almost ten years and then was an Elder in the Deerbrook Church in Houston. Paul lived his religious beliefs as evidenced by hiring ex-prisoners for his company, training and helping them. His efforts to help were not always reciprocated by some of the ex-cons, but that experience never stopped him from reaching out to the next ex-prisoner who needed help.</p>
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Paul and Linda were Christian counsel­ors and opened their home for many women, men and troubled teens who needed help. Linda characterized Paul as a very loving and caring man and a man who was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Kimberly Grace Goodman described Paul as a giver and an encourager; a man with the biggest heart to those in need; a man who was pas­sionate about life, living and loving; and a husband who loved his wife and often said to his daughters, “Girls, isn’t your mother the most beautiful woman in the world?”</p>
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At the celebration service for Paul, Pastor Buddy Hicks said, “today we are sorrowful but grateful. We sorrow because we will miss Paul and his ministry with us. Our lives have been enriched, however, because of Paul’s input into our lives.” Both daughters shared with the congregation letters they had writ­ten to Paul and read to him before he passed away from esophageal cancer. In Toni Lee’s letter she eulogized Paul with a quote of an Indian proverb that said “When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.” “Dad was the most amazing man I have ever known.”</p>
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<em>—His loving </em><em>family and classmates</em></p>