Lynita Louise Swartout, age 61, of Addison, MI, passed away on April 17, 2019, in the Jackson County Medical Care Facility in Jackson, Michigan, after a long illness. 

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on May 25th at Dixboro United Methodist Church, 5521 Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI. Rev. Dr. Lisa Tucker-Gray of Trinity Episcopal Church in Toledo, OH will be officiating. 

Lynita was born on December 28, 1957, in Odessa, Texas, the first born daughter of Arvey Lynn & Nita Joyce (Nivin) Swartout. The family later moved to Michigan, where Lynita attended school in both the Roseville Public and Warren Consolidated school districts. After graduating in 1976 from Cousino High School, she attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science in 1981. Lynita joined the United States Army in December of 1983. She spent the majority of her time in the service in Washington, D.C., working at the Pentagon in the Army Community and Family Support Center. Following an honorable discharge from the Army, Lynita remained in the Washington, DC area, beginning a decades-long career in instructional technology and design with positions at Statistica and Computer Sciences Corporation. In 1992, she returned to Michigan, where she made her home for over 20 years in Eastpointe. She continued her work as an instructional designer working for several places in the Detroit area, including Masco Tech, Triad Performance Technologies, Ford Design Institute, Blue Cross, Wayne State University, and University of Michigan Health Services. She spent her final years living with her parents at the family farm in Addison, Michigan.  

She loved to travel, a lifelong passion that started early in life on the road trips she took with her family to places all across the United States and Canada, including two summer-long journeys to Alaska. Her career took her farther away from home with extended stays in Germany, South Korea, Spain, and Israel. She took special trips with her parents and sisters to Paris and London.  But some of her favorite journeys were those that took her to more quiet places. She canoed in the Everglades, and challenged herself by spending a month on an Outward Bound trip to the Canyonlands of Utah. 

Lynita loved her animals. Her heart overflowed with compassion towards any animal in need of rescue, and in fact, she herself rescued many. Those who knew Lynita undoubtedly heard stories about Lucy, Abby, Molly, Rufus, and Vern, all of whom she considered beloved companions.  

Lynita loved and was fiercely loyal to her family. She was fortunate to have had the deep and abiding love of her parents, the support and friendship of her sisters, and a special bond with her beloved nieces.  In turn, they were blessed by her kindness, sense of humor, and empathy during difficult times.  Her faith in God sustained and comforted her throughout her life.

Lynita is survived by her parents, Arvey Lynn & Nita Joyce (Nivin) Swartout, of Addison, MI, sisters, Deanna Marie Swartout-Corbeil (Randy), of Leonard, MI, and Monica Joy Swartout-Bebow (John) of Ann Arbor, MI, nieces, Emma Clare Corbeil and Delaney Katrina Bebow, Aunt Violet (Nivin) Tabler, of Dallas, TX, first cousins, Brenda Gray-Whatley, of Plano, TX and Laura Wheat, of Westlake, TX, and the many friends she made throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, John Lynn & Gladys Marie (Branch) Swartout, of Addison, MI, and A.C. & Mary (Spitzer) Nivin, of Meridian, TX.

Lynita was a long-time supporter of the ASPCA. Donations in her name would be a fitting tribute to her lifelong concern for animal welfare.