Obituary: Richard Hayward Swain, 71

Submitted by Barbara Swain

Richard Hayward Swain (Rit) age 71, of Meredith, New Hampshire, passed away on November 20, 2021, at Concord Hospital, New Hampshire, following a brief illness.

Rit was a 1967 graduate of Norwalk High School, Norwalk, Connecticut where he excelled in varsity sports. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1972 from Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire. While at Keene State, he was a top soccer player and, as captain of the Keene State soccer team, led his team to its first national tournament.

In 1971, after winning the New England Regionals, Rit and his team were inducted into the Keene State College Hall of Fame. That team went on to the semifinals of the national tournament for small colleges. Rit held a long-standing record for most goals scored in the schools’ history, with 62 goals and 18 assists accomplished in just two seasons. In 1990, Rit was inducted into the Keene State College Athletics/Alumni Hall of Fame for Men’s Soccer for those accomplishments.

He settled in New Hampshire and for several years, he worked in sales at Ward’s Boat Shop, Ossipee, and Goodhue and Hawkins Boat Company, Wolfeboro. For the past 10 years, he was a teacher’s aid at the Moultonborough Academy in Moultonborough. He was beloved by his students for his devotion, kindness and care. He retired in June 2021.

Rit was an entertaining storyteller and delighted his nieces and nephews with lake stories from his childhood, often told around summer campfires, in between singing favorite classic rock tunes, while strumming his guitar. He will always be remembered as a loving and charming man with a big heart.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Hodges; his son Ritchard Swain of Brooklyn, NY; brothers Bradford (Ann) and Kenneth (Colleen), of Melvin Village, NH; Robert “Chip” (Barbara) of Norwalk, CT; and seven nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Vivian Swain.

Friends and family are invited to attend a Celebration of Life on December 11, 2021 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the VFW, 465 Riverside Ave., Westport, CT.