Russ Swatek

Russell (Russ) Swatek, 66, of Arlington, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. He was born on November 3, 1958 in Hammond, Indiana, to Albert and Jean Swatek. The youngest of three children, he grew up in a loving family alongside his brother, Mark, and sister, Mary. Russ graduated from Valparaiso University in 1982 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. However, he discovered his true calling as a pilot when he joined the Air Force, where he served as a B-52 Aircraft Commander at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. During this time, he met his wife, Patsy, on a blind date, and they married shortly thereafter in 1986. Together, they have two children, Jake & Elizabeth. After their kids were born, he began a long career at Southwest Airlines, most of it as Captain. He retired in 2021 after a 30+ year career there. When he wasn’t flying, Russ enjoyed many hobbies including: watching his kids play sports, traveling with Patsy, playing guitar, listening to music, reading, drinking martinis, smoking cigars with friends, watching rainstorms on his back porch, doing puzzles, golfing, woodworking with his dad, and building toys for his grandkids. Russ was an avid Beatles fan – he could tell you anything you wanted to know (or maybe didn’t want to know) about John, Paul, George, & Ringo. Many compared him to Dr. Dolittle because of his love of animals, especially dogs. He cherished his daily dog walks. Because of the care he has shown to numerous pets over the years, many have commented that they would love to come back in their next life as a Swatek dog due to his adoration and ability to spoil his pets. Russ loved travelling and taking his family on vacation every year. A few of his favorites were trips to Italy, Quebec, Bar Harbor, and Prague with Patsy, and he always looked forward to the annual Swatek family vacations in South Padre Island during the Christmas Holidays. In addition to his family, he enjoyed travelling with “The Goobers” from the Air Force as well as other family friends. He was especially proud of his kids – Jake and Elizabeth. He absolutely loved watching them grow up, and was proud of the adults they became. The greatest gift he received from them were his four grandchildren, as his biggest joy in life was being a Gramps. Russ made an impact on countless individuals throughout his life, and no list could ever be complete of the people who loved Russ or considered him a friend. Russ was preceded in death by his mother, Jean Swatek, nephew, Ross Whitehead, and great-nephew Cannon Rush. Russ is survived by his loving wife, Patsy, son, Jake (Jenny) Swatek, and daughter, Elizabeth (Chase) Ashton. His grandchildren include Emily Peetz, Ellis Ashton, Brooke Swatek, and Sawyer Ashton. He is also survived by his father, Al Swatek, brother, Mark (Laura) Swatek, and sister, Mary (Craig) Whitehead. He is survived by many members of extended family to include nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, as well as countless friends. There will be a Celebration of Life for Russ on Saturday, April 5th from 1-3 PM at J. Gilligan’s in Arlington, TX. All friends and family are invited. In lieu of flowers, the family believes Russ would prefer contributions to be sent to one of the following charities: An animal rescue of your choice Pilots for Kids – https://www.pilotsforkids.org/ SWAPA Pilot Relief Fund – https://www.swapa.org/advocacy/pilot-relief/ SWAPA Dependent Scholarship Fund – https://www.swapa.org/advocacy/pilot-relief2/