Gary Neil Swink, 77
Gary Neil Swink, 77, passed away on Sunday, April 10, 2022 in Sioux Falls. He was surrounded by family.
Gary was born June 9, 1944 in Satanta, Kan., growing up and graduating Hugoton High School’s Class of 1962. The University of Kansas was next (ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!), where he joined Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
After his time at KU he joined the United States Army, proudly serving his country and ultimately earning the E-6 rank of Staff Sergeant, and receiving an Honorable Discharge in Columbus, Ohio, in May 1973.
From there he moved to Wichita, Kan., and joined Pizza Hut’s explosion in the ‘70s, eventually becoming a regional manager, traveling and supervising operations and openings. There, he met Marilyn and they married in 1978, moving to Sioux Falls in 1983 where he became a franchisee of five restaurants spread across the region.
Raising two children and becoming involved in activities at O’Gorman High was next, where you could usually count on a howdy-neighbor smile as he helped out wherever he was needed. A jack-of-all-trades, his work will be remembered by the communities he touched.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Doris Swink, and he is survived by his sister MaNon; his children, Travis and Kayla; and their mother, Marilyn.
Services at the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery are to be determined, and inquiries should be directed to travis.swink@yahoo.com for updated information.
