Bryan Darge (Friend)
Mitch Swaback was one of the most unique persons you could have ever met. If you had had the opportunity to meet him or spend time alone with him you would know that his energy just seemed boundless, as if his own skin couldn’t contain the amount of energy and life that existed inside of him. I do not know how anyone who knew Mitch could not be impacted by him. It seemed that every time you were with him it was as if his life energy would either energized you or you became exhausted just trying to keep up with him.
I had the opportunity to share with Mitch’s dad Bob about the uncanny ability he had with things. I’m not talking about the ability he had of bringing some kind of damage to every car he ever drove it seemed like. We were on a jobsite and we needed to get into this room, but the door was locked with one of those numbered locks. Amazingly, Mitch figured out the number combinations and unlocked the door. We were amazed and asked Mitch how he did it, and of course he didn’t know. But then, in true Mitch fashion, he let the door close, and it locked. But not to worry though, Mitch figured out that combination, not just once – but twice, it was totally amazing and to this day I still shake my head in wonder. But it’s one of those great memories I have of Mitch that not only makes me laugh every time I think about it, but in my mind it was one of those defining moments of Mitch that just seemed to sum him up. One never knew how Mitch made it through sometimes, but no matter what it just seemed he always found a way to some how succeed. I always had the feeling that the hand of God was constantly working overtime to help him.
Under that tough exterior Mitch liked to portray, was a very generous and tender heart. He was the only other person, whom I knew, who shared with me in seeing my wife baptized at the end of a church service one Sunday afternoon. Instead of leaving the church right after the service over, Mitch graciously stayed around to watch her baptism.
Mitch is already tremendously missed. His high energy impact on everyone around him just cannot be understated. Mitch seemed to be the conduit that kept everyone around him together and positive, and there was no pretension about him. I am thankful to God for the brief period of time that I had of knowing Mitch, and I look forward to, as do so many others, of getting one of his big bear hugs in heaven one day.
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