William (Bill) Frank Swearingen, 74, was born April 27, 1952, in Baltimore, Maryland.
He passed away on May 6, 2026, in San Francisco, CA, where he was receiving care for the heart condition he defied for 27 years.
Bill is survived by his son, Jason (Alicia) Swearingen, and grandsons, Jaden Swearingen, Kade Swearingen, and Orion Swearingen, Chloe, WV; siblings, Kenneth Swearingen, Port Wentworth, GA; Helen Patricia Hess, Holtwood, PA; Paula Swearingen, Chambersburg, PA; and long-time friend and companion, Debra Scarborough, Gettysburg, PA, and several nieces and nephews.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Virginia Rosalee Swearingen, and brother, Danny Van Swearingen.
Bill grew up in Lancaster County, PA, and graduated from Penn Manor High School. Bill attended Penn State Mont Alto to study Forestry Technology. He joined the Lancaster (PA) Forest Fire Crew and traveled West in August 1973 with a crew of 10 Lancaster members of the first US Forest Service Interagency Hotshot Crews to fight Western Forest fires. He also worked on a surveying crew in Lancaster, PA, before moving to West Virginia, where he surveyed for the coal mines and private firms. Bill was always a talented carpenter and clever at fixing anything that needed fixing. He worked as a self-employed carpenter and handyman for decades.
Bill spent childhood summers with his family helping on farms in Mannington and Fairmont, West Virginia. He loved West Virginia and moved there as a young man in the 1970’s, calling it home ever since. Later in life, he travelled to Fresno, CA every winter. Having had friends and community far and wide, he will be missed among those whom his life touched in West Virginia, Lancaster, PA; Gettysburg, PA; and Fresno- Clovis- Sanger, CA, including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno.
Bill’s memorial service will be held at the Hamilton Cemetery on Flaggy Meadow in Mannington, WV, at the convenience of the family. To honor Bill’s memory, help someone in need, and give love and joy to all you meet.
Fond memories and words of comfort can be shared with the Swearingen family at www.stumpfuneralhomes.com
