Beverly Joyce Swain, 91, of Coldwater passed away peacefully at her home Friday, June 19, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.
Visitation will be held Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Dutcher Funeral Home in Coldwater. A rosary will be recited at 1:45 p.m. to conclude the visitation.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, June 26, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Coldwater. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.
Arrangements are being cared for by Dutcher Funeral Home.
Beverly was born April 9, 1935 in Hillsdale, Michigan to Rex and Eva (Seals) Wilcox. Her family later moved to Coldwater, where she danced her way through school and graduated from Roosevelt High School with the Class of 1953.
Following graduation, she attended Gale Airline/Business Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before beginning her career in Miami, Florida.
October 6, 1964, Beverly married her high school sweetheart, John P. Swain, in Miami. Together they shared nearly sixty years of marriage before John’s passing June 29, 2024.
Throughout her life, Beverly dedicated herself to serving others. She worked for Coldwater Community Schools, Branch County Health Center, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and later Coldwater Hospital before retiring in 1997. In 1971, Beverly, John, and Kristi moved to Sarasota, Florida, primarily to assist her parents, especially her mother, during her battle with cancer.
After a brief period at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, Beverly joined Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where she worked for sixteen years as Head Insurance Confirmation Clerk in Admitting. Her position connected her with insurance companies all over the world, work she truly loved. The hospital even installed a computer and phone line in her home so she could continue working while helping care for her grandchildren, Kristopher DeGiorgio and her namesake, Kaelin Parker Joy.
Upon her retirement in 1996, Beverly wrote training manuals for those who followed in her footsteps.
A faithful member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, her faith remained a guiding force throughout her life.
Beverly possessed a creative spirit and found joy in photography, writing, jewelry making, collecting rocks and shells, and creating handcrafted gifts. Beverly had a creative mind and was a rock and shell collector from an early age. Family vacations often became treasure hunts as she handed each child a pillowcase to collect rocks, stones, and other keepsakes along the way. She learned lapidary skills from Roy Harris, and together she and John created jewelry through their Jon-Bee Gems Shop on South Sprague Road.
She also pursued creative writing and had her true story, “Hide ‘n Stink,” published in Doorways Magazine. John and Beverly fell in love with Sarasota, where life often felt like a permanent vacation. John enjoyed fishing the Gulf of Mexico while Beverly explored the beaches collecting shells, coral, and sea treasures. One memorable adventure even included horseshoe crabs briefly swimming in their backyard pool.
Eventually, Michigan called them home, and they built their retirement home on Behnke Road. Beverly loved photography and saw beauty and art everywhere, even in bugs and flowers, taking pictures every chance she had. She obtained a copyright for her “Man on the Moon” drawing and used it for her Hometown Dreams logo, creating bookmarks and note cards that were sold at the Tibbits Opera House gift shop and several local stores.
Known by many as “The Picture Lady,” her photographs of local landmarks, wildlife, and nature were featured in tourism guides and publications. Several of her photographs, including the Hodunk Mill, appeared in the International Library of Photography’s Best Photos 2000, and many of her images of Coldwater landmarks, wildlife, and nature were featured in Branch County Tourism Guides, which she proudly helped deliver with her granddaughter.
Known affectionately as “Bee,” Beverly loved gathering with family, attending class reunions, and sharing stories. She was a breast cancer survivor, an animal lover, and someone who found beauty in the world around her. Above all, she cherished her family. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her immense joy, and she delighted in celebrating their lives and accomplishments.
Beverly leaves behind her children, Renee (John) Street of Bakersfield, California, Douglas (Barbara) Swain, and Janice (Scott) Carpenter, both of Coldwater; her grandchildren, Rachel (John) Valentine, Michael (Anna) Street, Benjamin Street, Corey (Kim) Swain, Jessica (Jeff) Fishero, Josh Drzewicki, Kristen (Joseph) Hockin, Julia (Ransom) Brown, Carissa (Bryant) Gorrell, Kristopher DeGiorgio, and Kaelin Parker Joy Swain-Noud (Steven); her great-grandchildren, Jack, Grayson, Lucas, Casey, Scout, Sophie, Cooper, Jaxon, Callan, Rilynn, Mabel, Ames, Emee, Bianca, Aurora, Kirk, Kaizen, and Arwyn; with one great-grandchild on the way; and many extended family members and friends.
Beverly was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John; her daughter, Kristi Jill Swain; her parents; her sisters, Shirley Deming and Betty McCormick; and her brother, Wayne Wilcox.
Beverly will be remembered for her spunky spirit, unwavering faith, creative heart, and the love she shared with family and friends throughout her life. May her legacy live on through the cards and jewelry she made, and with the generational impact she left.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Branch Area Food Pantry or Mott Children’s Hospital Oncology Division.
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