Obituary Of Our Beloved Paul Swarr

Paul Leaman Swarr 1927-2024

Paul Leaman Swarr, age 97, graduated to glory  on January 31, 2025, while living in the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) in Harrisonburg, VA. The family will have a private burial. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service is being planned for a later date, and will be announced on the McMullen Funeral Home website. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to VMRC at www.vmrc.org.  Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mcmullenfh.com.  

Paul was born November 10, 1927 to Harry Cassel Swarr and Kathryn Leaman Swarr in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, USA. At the age of 19 he joined with 29 other young Mennonite “cowboy volunteers” to chaperone 600 mules across the ocean to war-ravaged Europe. This experience opened his eyes and heart to the international world, and ultimately to the call to serve God’s purposes in Israel for 30 years.

Paul attended Hempfield High School in Landisville, PA, and graduated from Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, VA. He received a Bible and Theology degree from Eastern Mennonite College, and a Bachelor of Theology degree from Goshen Biblical Seminary. While in college he was the baritone in the Crusader Quartet, which traveled the country with tent meetings, held evangelistic outreaches in NY City, recorded six 78-rpm albums, and was instrumental in the development of The Mennonite Hour radio broadcast. He was ordained to the ministry in his home church in East Petersburg, and served in pastoral ministry in a variety of settings: as youth pastor at St. Jacobs, Ontario; as roving pastor to 1-W units on the East Coast; as co-pastor at Beit Immanuel in Israel; as pastor at Powhatan Mennonite Church, VA; and as lead pastor on the pastoral team of Hope Christian Fellowship in Richmond, VA. He also served for a number of years as Warwick District Overseer for the Virginia Mennonite Conference. 

In 1955 Paul married Bertha Carolyn Wenger. They had three children, and enjoyed 64 years of marriage before Bertha preceded him in death on April 9, 2019. Their life motto was, “Laborers together with God” (I Corin. 3:9). Paul and Bertha responded to the call to serve the Lord in Israel, and sailed in 1957 to this infant nation formed in 1948 in the shadow of WWII and the Holocaust. Paul considers their 30 years in Israel to be the most fulfilling time of his life and ministry. While there he taught math to high school children in a Baptist orphanage, worked as a tour guide and manager of Sharon Tours which catered to Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, served as General Secretary of the United Christian Counsel in Israel which provided a united voice to the government, and served as co-pastor of a Messianic congregation at Beit Immanuel in Jaffa, mentoring the next generation of church leadership. After returning to the US, Paul and Bertha spent 20 years with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), pioneering the school of Church Planting and Leadership in Ghana, South Africa, and Brazil, as well as pioneering the School of Jewish Studies. They also served as a pastoral couple to the YWAM staff in Richmond, VA.

Paul is survived by his three children: son David Swarr (and wife Sharon) of Richmond, VA; daughter Evelyn Hostetter (and husband Jay) of Ruther Glen, VA; daughter Carolyn Stauffer (and husband Carl) of Harrisonburg, VA. He has seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren:  Mary Psalm Araujo (and husband Daniel and 2 children) of Richmond, VA; Arielle Swarr of Richmond, VA; Timothy Hostetter (and wife Ella and 5 children) of Ruther Glen, VA; Rose Rector (and husband Nick and 1 child) of Ruther Glen, VA; Cynthia Hostetter of Ruther Glen, VA; Christopher Stauffer (and wife Elana) of San Francisco, CA; Grace Lamay (and husband Ibrahim and 1 child) of Arlington, VA.

Paul will be warmly remembered for his pastoral heart, humility, kindness, patience, his encouraging words, listening ear, calming presence, servant heart, and his deep love for his Lord who was central to every facet of his life. Paul lived faithfully and loved well.  

Arrangements are being handled by McMullen Funeral Home (www.mcmullenfh.com)