Joyce
Joyce Mccoy Swinford
Joyce McCoy Swinford was born in American Fork, Utah, on September 27, 1943, to Milas and Mary Ann McCoy. She passed peacefully into the arms of God on June 21, 2023, at the age of 79. Joyce spent most of her childhood in New Mexico but moved to Lubbock, Texas, with her family just before her senior year in high school. After graduating from Monterey High School, Joyce attended Texas Tech University where she met the love of her life, David Swinford. They married on June 19, 1964, and shortly thereafter moved to Dumas, TX. In 1965, their son David Christopher Swinford was born, and in 1967, they welcomed Melissa Rae Swinford Bates.
Joyce delighted in being a stay-at-home mom to her two children for several years and later began teaching kindergarten part time at First Street Church of Christ. After a few more years, Joyce went to work for the family business, Moore County Grain, as one of their bookkeepers. She was very involved in her children’s lives and activities, including spending many late nights and traveling many miles to help Chris and Melissa with their 4-H and FFA livestock. She was involved in her community as well, including volunteering with the Community Concerts program that brought cultural performances and entertainment to Dumas. Joyce loved music and enjoyed singing and playing the piano.
Joyce was a member of the 2007 Leadership Texas cohort and was also involved in Business & Professional Women activities in the Panhandle. She loved worshiping and serving with her family and church family at Sunray Church of Christ. Over the years, she hosted numerous showers, small group gatherings and more in their home, helped with Monday Night for the Master, was involved in women’s ministry activities, taught children’s Bible classes, and more. She was known as a kind, gracious and lovely woman who was a wonderful Christian example to many.
In 1990, David and Joyce’s world expanded quite a bit when David was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Joyce was a dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of David’s campaigns, including driving countless miles to participate in parades and other functions, and of his work in Austin. While in Austin, she was very involved in the Legislative Ladies Club and served as their president from 2001-2003. She was also a wonderful host to the many friends and family who visited Austin over the 20 years that David served, showing them around the Capitol and other interesting parts of the city. Her four grandsons have many fond memories of special times spent in Austin with Granny and Granddad.
More than anything, Joyce loved spending time with her family and enjoyed making holiday times and family gatherings and celebrations special. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren always brought a smile to her face. Her loving family includes her son Chris and wife Brenda of Wichita Falls, TX; grandsons Daniel Swinford of Lubbock, TX and Alan Swinford, his wife Haylee, and their sons, Gavin, Kieran, and Josiah, of Longmont, CO; her daughter Melissa Bates and husband Rob of Dumas, TX; grandsons Phillip Bates, his wife Alayna, and their daughters, Adelyn and Ellie, of Rogersville, MO, and William Bates and his wife, Isabel, of Edmond, OK; and her younger brother David McCoy of Rowlett, TX, whom she loved dearly. She was blessed with a beloved extended family as well, including sisters-in-law, Sylvia Swinford and Jimmie Swinford, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 58 years, David Anthony Swinford, their granddaughter Christie Marie Bates, her parents, Milas and Mary Ann McCoy, father-in-law and mother-in-law Oley and Hazel Swinford, brothers-in-law, Sammy Alan, Earl, and Jerry, and sister-in-law, Pat.
Visitation will be from 4-5:00 p.m., Sunday, June 25, 2023, at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors of Dumas, 500 N. Maddox Ave., Dumas.
Services will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 26, 2026, at Sunray Church of Christ, Sunray, TX. Burial will be at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
Memorials may be sent to Moore County Health Foundation (
https://moorecountyhealthfoundation.net/
) or Mountain States Children’s Home (
https://www.msch.org/
).
Joyce delighted in being a stay-at-home mom to her two children for several years and later began teaching kindergarten part time at First Street Church of Christ. After a few more years, Joyce went to work for the family business, Moore County Grain, as one of their bookkeepers. She was very involved in her children’s lives and activities, including spending many late nights and traveling many miles to help Chris and Melissa with their 4-H and FFA livestock. She was involved in her community as well, including volunteering with the Community Concerts program that brought cultural performances and entertainment to Dumas. Joyce loved music and enjoyed singing and playing the piano.
Joyce was a member of the 2007 Leadership Texas cohort and was also involved in Business & Professional Women activities in the Panhandle. She loved worshiping and serving with her family and church family at Sunray Church of Christ. Over the years, she hosted numerous showers, small group gatherings and more in their home, helped with Monday Night for the Master, was involved in women’s ministry activities, taught children’s Bible classes, and more. She was known as a kind, gracious and lovely woman who was a wonderful Christian example to many.
In 1990, David and Joyce’s world expanded quite a bit when David was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Joyce was a dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of David’s campaigns, including driving countless miles to participate in parades and other functions, and of his work in Austin. While in Austin, she was very involved in the Legislative Ladies Club and served as their president from 2001-2003. She was also a wonderful host to the many friends and family who visited Austin over the 20 years that David served, showing them around the Capitol and other interesting parts of the city. Her four grandsons have many fond memories of special times spent in Austin with Granny and Granddad.
More than anything, Joyce loved spending time with her family and enjoyed making holiday times and family gatherings and celebrations special. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren always brought a smile to her face. Her loving family includes her son Chris and wife Brenda of Wichita Falls, TX; grandsons Daniel Swinford of Lubbock, TX and Alan Swinford, his wife Haylee, and their sons, Gavin, Kieran, and Josiah, of Longmont, CO; her daughter Melissa Bates and husband Rob of Dumas, TX; grandsons Phillip Bates, his wife Alayna, and their daughters, Adelyn and Ellie, of Rogersville, MO, and William Bates and his wife, Isabel, of Edmond, OK; and her younger brother David McCoy of Rowlett, TX, whom she loved dearly. She was blessed with a beloved extended family as well, including sisters-in-law, Sylvia Swinford and Jimmie Swinford, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 58 years, David Anthony Swinford, their granddaughter Christie Marie Bates, her parents, Milas and Mary Ann McCoy, father-in-law and mother-in-law Oley and Hazel Swinford, brothers-in-law, Sammy Alan, Earl, and Jerry, and sister-in-law, Pat.
Visitation will be from 4-5:00 p.m., Sunday, June 25, 2023, at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors of Dumas, 500 N. Maddox Ave., Dumas.
Services will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 26, 2026, at Sunray Church of Christ, Sunray, TX. Burial will be at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
Memorials may be sent to Moore County Health Foundation (
https://moorecountyhealthfoundation.net/
) or Mountain States Children’s Home (
https://www.msch.org/
).
To send flowers to the family in memory of Joyce Mccoy Swinford, please visit our flower store.
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