Billy Joe Swango's Obituary
Swango, Billy Joe Of Dallas passed away March 4, 2009, after a brief illness.Born August 7, 1928, in Dallas, Texas, Bill was the youngest of three children of Erb Trimble and Shirley Beard Swango. He graduated from Forest Avenue High School in Dallas before attending Texas A&M College in College Station. A member of the Corps of Cadets, he graduated with an architectural construction degree in 1949 and accepted a commission in the U.S. Army. He served two tours of duty in Korea, retiring with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. In 1955, Bill married Beth Godwin of Honey Grove, Texas. The couple resided in Dallas and had two daughters, Kimberly and Tracey. He adored the women in his life and worked tirelessly to provide for his family. In 1959, he founded Olden and Company, which began as a window contractor and grew into a world-renowned building envelope contractor. Under his direction, Olden played an important role in shaping the Dallas skyline, including such recognizable buildings as Chase Tower (formerly Texas Commerce Bank), the Reunion Hyatt complex, Cityplace, Fountain Place and the Crescent Hotel. In addition to such prominent Dallas landmarks, Olden also contributed to projects in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Houston. After closing Olden and Company in 1991, Bill continued to work as a building envelope consultant for over 10 years. His successful career spanned nearly 50 years and earned him the respect of scores of employees, colleagues and collaborators. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Erb and Shirley Swango; brother, Adron Swango; and sister, Marjorie Swango Johnson. He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Beth Swango; daughter, Kim Turner, of Dallas; daughter, Tracey Bauguss, of Rockwall; granddaughters, Anne Turner, of Dallas, and Alison Turner, of Los Angeles; grandson, Jake Bauguss, of Rockwall; and many other family, friends and colleagues. His family would especially like to thank the staff of the Mayfair Unit at Monticello West for their kindness and wonderful care over the last several months.Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 5, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Restland Funeral Home – 9220 Restland Road, Dallas, Texas 75243. Services will be held at Restland Memorial Chapel on Friday, March 6, at 12:30pm.
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