Donald Dean Swayne, born September 12, 1929, to Andrew Louden & Myrtle May (Doggett) Swayne. He was born in Edson, Kansas, the 3rd of 10 children. They lived on a ranch until the devastation of the dust bowl. They loaded up and moved to Arkansas where they had a hard but adventurous life. He and his brothers explored many caves, creeks, and beautiful Arkansas country side.

Dean graduated from Yellville, Arkansas, with the class of 1949. He was delayed in graduating due to days missed to help with harvesting of crops and moving.

Dean joined the United States Air Force in September of 1949, and served until December of 1952. He served in Korea during the Korean war, and received the U.N. Service Medal as well as the Korean Service Medal. His specialty was Airplane Mechanic. His crew was awarded a free trip for having the highest safety record.

On August 2, 1953, he married Loretta (Dale) Swayne. They had 5 children: Don, Daris Van (lived to be 13 months old), Judy, Janice & Russell. They enjoyed life in Tulsa, and then moving to their farm in Skiatook, in January of 1972. On the farm in Skiatook, they worked hard, as a family, building their home, growing huge crops of vegetables, as well as chickens, cows, and a few pigs.

Dean worked at McDonnell Douglas, and congruently took classes at Tulsa Tech for 2 years., to become an electronic technician. At McDonnell, he was an electronic technician and lead man on the electronic panel for Apollo 8. He worked at Sight & Sound Television as a Television repairman, after the big lay off at McDonnell Douglas.  He then worked for the United State Post Office, as an Electronic Technician., until his retirement. Dean was one that could fix most anything. He retired from the USPS in 1995, and spent the rest of his life living on his ranch in Jennings.

In July of 1993, he married Kathy Crosby, and they built their life together on the ranch in Jennings.  Dean & Kathy enjoyed going to auctions and sales, where they bought and accumulated things that brought them joy.  Due to health challenges, Dean decided to sell his cattle herd, several years ago. But he continued to fix and fiddle with his finds until June of 2023. He lived a very independent, busy life until he was 94. In the past year he has slowed down, and allowed his family to help care for him.

Dean was preceded in death by his wife Kathy, his baby son Daris Van, his parents Andy & Myrtle Swayne, his brothers Doyt, Chester, Ivan, Dallas, Larry, & Darold Swayne.

Dean is survived by his children Don (wife Sang) Swayne of Leander, Tx; Judy (husband Lee) Taylor of Navasota, Tx; Janice (husband Dan) Griffin of Skiatook, OK; Russell (wife Angela) Swayne of Skiatook, OK. Step children Vanessa (husband Robert) Wynne of Texas; Teala (husband Mark) McKenzie of Tulsa, OK; & Katrina (Michael Meadows) Doyal of Tulsa, OK; Sisters: Dorothy Swayne of Greenbrier, AR, Shirley (husband Johnny) Vaughan Bartlesville, OK, and a brother Dennis (wife Linda) Swayne of Maumelle, AR, 11 grandkids, 27 great grandkids, 1 great great grandson, and a host of nieces & nephews.

A visitation will be held from 11AM - 1PM on Saturday, August 10 at Palmer Marler Funeral Home in Oilton, Oklahoma.  Graveside services will be at 2PM on Saturday, August 10, at the Jennings Cemetery.