Rick Swearengin Sr.

Ricky Joe “Rick” Swearengin, son of Bobby Joe and Betty Jane (Heard) Swearengin, was born April 20, 1953, in Springfield, Missouri, and departed this life on April 24, 2026, in his home surrounded by his family at the age of 73 years and 4 days.

Rick was raised in the Diggins community most of his life, with the occasional move to Springfield with his parents. He attended kindergarten and first grade at Doling Elementary in Springfield, and then the Diggins School until the sixth grade. From there he attended Seymour Schools.

On December 31, 1971, he was united in marriage to Sherrell Jean “Jeannie” Newman, and to this union one son and one daughter were born.Rick loved to work and prided himself in hard and honest work. He started working delivering Grit paper on his horse and cart in the Diggins Community. Then he worked at Gillham Lumber in Marshfield, Missouri. He worked at Willard Block Company in Willard, Missouri, for the Reuben Phillips family, then went to Tindle Mills in Springfield, and then drove a semi-truck for one of his best friends, Ben “Dude” Cook, hauling grain. From there, Rick and his brother-in-law, Gary Newman, went to work installing heating and air conditioning, and then they started S and N Heating and Air. Rick later developed his own company, Rick's Heating and Air, with his son Ricky in 1995, when Gary and his family started in the convenience store business. He and Ricky continued Rick's Heating and Air in Springfield, Missouri, until he was no longer able to work in late 2021 due to bone marrow cancer. He loved working in the business.

Rick's love for his cattle and old cars was undeniable. He would talk about them to almost everyone, because he never met a stranger. He loved spending time getting “the boys” at work going and then going down to Diggins to work on the farm and check the cows. He would often jump in one of his old cars and enjoy the drive down to the farm at Diggins. The running joke at KU Medical was if he loved his cows or his kids more. He would laugh and say, “I'm not sure, that's a pretty close call.”

Rick, or “Ricky Joe”, as his close friends called him, loved spending time with family and friends. His highlights were Christmas and the 4th of July. He would bring his conversion van down and all the grandkids would love to pile behind the van and help pack in the presents, and on the 4th of July there was always a big party at his house in Springfield with swimming, BBQ, homemade ice cream with lots and lots of fireworks, where there was certain to be a “box or three” getting caught on fire and watching him and Ricky running for their lives.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents, and his longtime companion, Julie Rippee, in November 2023.

He is survived by his son, Ricky Joe Jr. and wife Becky, his daughter, Gayla Freeman and husband Scott, all of Seymour; grandchildren, Timothy Beck of Seymour, Audrey Owings and husband Luke, of Willard, Jordan Freeman and wife Dara, of Pollock, Louisiana, Preston Freeman of Fordland, Ricky “Abiel” III and Reece Swearengin of Seymour,; great-grandchildren, Tristan and Corbin Beck, Lucy and Gabriel Owings, and Eleanor Freeman; sister, Sandy Newman and husband Gary, of Seymour; Jeannie Newman (Swearengin) of “next door”, Katie (Rippee) Pritchett and husband Spud, and their children Gunner and Grey Pritchett, of Pleasant Hope, Missouri; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends.

Rick will greatly be remembered by his hard work, big smile, full of life personality, the life of the party, and fun-loving Dad, Papa, Husband, Brother, Uncle, Cousin, Partner, and Friend.

You will be greatly missed and cherished forever and ever.

Memorial contributions may be made to Gentry Cemetery in care of the funeral home.