John Denton Swafford, beloved brother, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully in his Texas Hill Country home on April 24, 2023. He was aged 71.

Johnny, as he was known by friends and family, was born in North Tonawanda, New York, on New Year's Eve of 1951, to Kathleen Youngs Swafford and Thomas W. "Tubby" Swafford. The family eventually returned to Ponder, Texas, then Irving, Texas, where Johnny spent much of his youth. Johnny attended Barton Elementary School, Crockett Middle School, and Irving High School. Johnny's lifelong love of football included playing left tackle on the Irving High School football team and was part of the district 7-4A championship team. He also won awards as a kicker for the team.

He was admitted to The University of Texas, where he completed his bachelor's degree of business administration in accounting and international finance in 1975. Perhaps more importantly than his formal education, his college days were a formative time that sealed his love for Austin and the Texas Hill Country—and made for stories he would tell to friends and family with a spark in his eye and a knowing grin.

Johnny married Barbara Brown on October 2, 1982, in Grosse Point, Michigan. They welcomed their first son, Alec, in 1987. The family spent several years living and working in Tokyo, Japan, where their second son, William, was born in 1991. The family returned to Texas, settling in Houston, later in 1991. Johnny and Barbara divorced in 1996. Johnny was a loving father who shared his passion for the outdoors with his two sons, often taking them on camping and national-park adventures. He also coached nearly every basketball team his sons were on but mysteriously could not beat them at H.O.R.S.E.

Johnny became a licensed certified public accountant and led a career that culminated in his role as international tax director at Live Nation. Before that, Johnny served in roles at Deloitte and Touche, Enron, and WorleyParsons, among others.

He left Houston after retiring from Live Nation and returned to his heart's home in the greater Austin area, where he enjoyed boating on Lake Travis, swimming at his community pool in Lakeway, eating Torchy's Tacos and gallons of vanilla Blue Bell Ice Cream, catching live music whenever he could, and watching sunsets over the hills and lake. In his last years he battled Parkinson's disease and colon cancer, all the while maintaining the same wild spirit of independence and quiet mischief that his family and friends knew and loved.

He is survived by his son Alec, daughter-in-law Katie, and grandson Owen; his son Will and fiancé Kelly Gissy; his elder sister Linda Gail Swafford Johnson, her husband Dee "Buba" Johnson, and their children; his elder brother James "Jimmy" Thomas Swafford and partner Kay Huff; his younger brother Joseph Thomas Swafford and wife Laura Lynn Bray Swafford, and their children John Brady and Matthew James Holcomb; and his youngest brother Timothy Wayne Swafford, his wife Gayleen Swafford, and their children Andrea, Chelsea, and Craig. The family is grateful to Johnny's life-long friend Mac Summers and his neighbor Annette Lese for their assistance with his care over the past several years.

Funeral services will be held at Chapel at Bill DeBerry Funeral Directors in Denton, Texas, at 10:00 AM on Monday, May 1, 2023. Johnny will be laid to rest at Eakin Cemetery in Ponder, Texas, after the services.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Johnny's memory to the Houston Area Parkinson Society, an organization that made a significant difference in his life early in his diagnosis. Details for donating online or via mail can be found at https://haps.org/support/ .