Thomas Leland Swall

On Monday, August 29, 2022, Thomas Leland Swall entered into eternal peace in Heaven at home on his beloved ranch, surrounded by his family. He was 86. Tom was a loving and loyal husband, father and grandfather. He was born to W. Leland and Wilma (Jones) Swall on April 2, 1936 in Tulare, CA and had deep roots in the Tulare area. Tom was a fourth generation farmer and was passionate about agriculture and the history of Swall Farms. He graduated from Tulare Union HS in 1954 and Fresno State College in 1958 with a BS in Agriculture. He then served two years in the Air National Guard while starting his career with Swall Farms. He dedicated nearly 65 years to farming, and as a steward of the land he loved dearly. On June 1,1963, Tom married his soulmate, Berta L.(Lawry) Swall and they had two children while living on the ranch their entire marriage. He was active on several commodity boards such as Sequoia Walnut and the Mayflower Fruit Association. He supported his two children in all their activities, was a 4-H leader and was a respected member of the community in which he spent his life. Skiing and spending time at his home in Shaver Lake, riding motorcycles, driving to Springville to eat and walking around the ranch with his cherished pets were some of Tom's favorite pastimes. He also enjoyed having a pilot's license, but did not fly after his children were born. After he was widowed, he traveled to Germany on his own and rode a BMW motorcycle around southern Europe with a tour group. He was especially proud of his German heritage, collecting clocks and paraphernalia and was able to travel there on a couple of occasions. He was known to boast about putting a diesel engine in a pick-up in the early 1960's when it was unheard of to do so. He was a brilliant mechanic, and was able to do much of his own tractor and machinery repair on the ranch. Tom was known for his progressive farming practices, his ability to fix or modify anything, his love of all animals and his generosity and loyalty. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother-in-law Dwight Allen and wife of 37 years, Berta Swall. He is survived by his son, daughter and their spouses, Lee and Serena Swall and Suzanne and Rodney Senn. He leaves behind five grandchildren that he adored and who adored him; Kelsey, Lindsey and Amy Swall and Rebecca and Will Senn. He is also survived by his sister in Colorado, Carole Swall Allen, and his nephews and nieces, Douglas, Denny, Dana, Karla and Cheryl Allen. A memorial service will follow a private burial on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at Salser and Dillard Funeral Chapel in Visalia, CA at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Tom's name can be made to Sansum Medical Clinic www.sansumclinic.org/donate-now or Bristol Hospice Visalia, 2439 W. Whitendale Ave, Suite B, Visalia, CA 93277. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Thomas Leland Swall

April 2, 1936 - August 29, 2022