Beloved wife, mother, and grandma, Mary “Swaim” Strong, 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 2, 2026. She was born on November 18, 1937, in Leaksville, NC, to the late Joseph Armfield Craig and Ruby Mayhew Craig. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Philip Earl “Phil” Strong, and her brother, David Craig.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00PM on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, 302 E. Windsor Street, Monroe, NC 28112.

The family will receive friends and visitors from 12:00 Noon until 2:00PM, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at Gordon Funeral Service, 1904 Lancaster Ave., Monroe, NC 28112.

She is survived by her daughters, Patti Jones (Robby) of Indian Trail, Mandy Williams (Ron) of Rockvale, TN, and Dru Strong of Monroe; her son, Earl Strong of Goodlettsville, TN; and her granddaughters, Meredith Jones of Charlotte, Whitney Jones of Matthews, and Maron Hogan (Cody) of Chapel Hill, TN.

Married for 62 years, Phil and Swaim met on a blind date. That very night, Phil told his father that Swaim was the girl he was going to marry. After their marriage, they made their home in High Point, NC, where Phil worked for the North Carolina Highway Patrol and they welcomed their four children.

In 1974 they moved to Monroe and became deeply engaged in their community and devoted members of First Presbyterian Church of Monroe. Swaim worked for Monroe City Schools/UCPS, including 13 years as a first-grade teacher at East Elementary School. Once retired, she remained committed to education through her membership in Alpha Delta Kappa, where she most recently served as Past President and previously held numerous leadership roles.

At First Presbyterian Church, she was a faithful servant through many roles and ministries, including serving as a Deacon (Class of 2012). She was an active member of the Presbyterian Women, the Joy and Faith Circle, the Good Times Group, and the Serve and Care Committee. She cared deeply about this work, giving her time and heart to each role as an expression of her faith and love for others. An avid gardener, Swaim also found great joy in her involvement with the Monroe Garden Club. When she wasn’t serving her community, she could be found outside in her garden or in the kitchen trying out her latest recipe. She had a deep love for chocolate, never missed a Hallmark movie, and found her greatest joy in time spent with her friends and family. She was especially excited to become a great-grandmother later this month.

The family is deeply grateful for the kindness of Swaim’s neighbors and friends, whose care, companionship, and quiet acts of support meant so much to her and to our family.

She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her.

Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, 302 E. Windsor St., Monroe, NC 28112.

Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com

Gordon Funeral Service and Crematory is honored to be entrusted to care for the Strong Family.