Clarence F. “Buz” Swyers entered into the arms of his Savior on May 19, 2021 and heard Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
A resident of Apopka, FL, Clarence Swyers was born on November 4, 1936 in Buffalo, NY. Predeceased by his first wife, Diane M. Lenahan Swyers, Buz is survived by his loving wife Patricia Goralski Swyers; children: Eugene (Suzanne) Swyers, Tamra (Eric) Wagner, John (Nancy) Swyers, Glen (Sara) Swyers, Bruce (Carrie) Swyers, Aaron (Karly) Swyers, Rebekah (Paul) Nantais and Capt Sarah Swyers, USAF; 18 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and brother-in-law Donald Goralski, as well as cousins, nieces, and nephews. Given that nickname by his older brother, Buz was “unforgettable.” As a child, with his Dad’s help, he started his first business venture selling ice-cold “soda pop” at the end of a bus route in south Buffalo on hot summer days! Dipping his hand into a bucket of ice water, he’d bring out a bottle and ask passengers, “Aren’t you thirsty?” Married with a young family, he took a leap of faith and started a printing business in the basement of his home. During a time of desperate struggle, Buz cried out to God: “If You’re real, help me.” He often shared: “I woke up the next morning with the same problems, but somehow had peace that God would get me through.” A brief encounter at his business led to a trip to the Philippines to set up a print shop at a Bible School in northern Luzon. He worked on the print shop during day and traveled to barrios at dusk where he was introduced to preach. His response was: “I’m not a preacher. I’m a printer, but I can tell them the love story of what Jesus has done in my life.”
He returned home with a dream and vision: “If God can use me, He can use anybody!” So, in January 1977, Buz led the first of many teams of “ordinary people” to minister to the needs of people who lived in huts in remote barrios and in magnificent homes in major cities in the Philippines and Honduras. They saw God do extraordinary things. The door to his office was always open to employees, vendors, clients, friends, and of course, family. Though his business grew, his ego never did. A former employee once described Buz as “an incredible heart person , a man of honesty, integrity, and compassion.” He truly cared about people and easily made new friends wherever he went. As a businessman, he was thrilled to have his sons as partners and thrilled that the business supported about 70 employees and their families. It gave him joy to organize and run golf tournaments raising funds for charities and mission projects. He was honored to take a portion of his business profit to build and supply print shops for national pastors and missionaries in eleven third-world nations.
Later in life, he Patti, and Aaron began a new venture and worked together for years, creating websites and artwork, writing and editing, and managing print projects. Retirement was not part of his vocabulary, and even this year, he worked on one more project. Buz’s passion for people to know Christ and discover God’s plan and purpose for their life was insatiable. A man of tremendous energy, he was an encourager and a helper, always eager to assist with ideas, resources, and direction. He wanted to see others succeed. Buz Swyers was all about family. When friends teased him about starting a new family in his forties, saying “Better you than me,” he would joyfully reply, “You’re right; better me than you! I’m loving it!” He made sure he attended his children’s T-ball, baseball, softball, soccer, and hockey games along with gymnastics events and school concerts. Buz always made time for family and had a hilarious sense of humor which meant we were never short of laughter. There will be Buz stories told for years to come. Through life’s ups and downs, hardships and successes, he remained steadfast in his love for the Lord, an example to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, our family asks that you would consider making a gift to one of the organizations listed below:
Maranatha Missionary Outreach
Project: Rancho Ni Cristo
Rancho ni Cristo opened it’s doors in December of 2015. RNC opened with the dream of building a safe haven for young girls, 12 years old and younger, who have been victims of sex trafficking. Through partnering with CURE Foundation, we are able to help provide, not only a safe place, but a center of healing and spiritual restoration.
Donation Website: http://www.mmoworld.org/our-projects
Mighty Oaks Foundation
Project: Supporting Veterans Programs
Mighty Oaks provides peer-to-peer resiliency and recovery programs that serve as the catalyst to assist our Nation’s Warriors dealing with challenges related to the struggles of daily military life, combat deployments and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS) offered at no cost to our Nation’s Warriors.
Donation Website: www.mightyoaksprograms.org
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