Rachael McSwain peacefully passed away Thursday, October 9, 2025 at Wendover Hospice in Shelby, NC.
Rachael was born in Shelby in 1941. It was here at Shelby High School that she met the love of her life, Don. They met in the Glee Club. They married young and began a beautiful life together that lasted 64 years on this earth. We are reassured that she is reunited with him in heaven along with many other beloved family members in the presence of Jesus, as we are all promised.
Rachael and Don loved living their lives in dedication to God. Don’s military service as an Army Chaplain allowed Rachael the opportunity to serve her Savior and raise her family all over the United States and in Germany. By her husband’s side, she had countless opportunities to minister to people through her own leadership positions in churches. She taught Sunday School, led children’s church, and sang in many choirs. She also sang wonderful solos. Our favorite was when she sang duets with Don. They complemented each other so beautifully, even in song. If there was a need in the church, Rachael filled it. Together they shared their faith at 3 civilian churches: Sharon Baptist Church, Bells Baptist Church and Sandy Plains Baptist Church, as well as many military chapels around the world.
Rachael was passionate about sewing, cooking, decorating, shopping and nurturing her pets. She was extremely talented at all of her hobbies and always looked like she stepped out of a fashion magazine even if she was just going to Walmart. She loved traveling, especially to Hawaii to visit her children and grandchildren. She had a gift for making each family member believe they were her “favorite” as her attention to each of us was fully intentional, individual and present.
If you knew Rachael you already know that she was a nurse. She had professional experience at Carolina Care and White Oak Manor, caring for the most vulnerable people. But as her “unpaid” job, she tended to everyone’s medical questions with confidence and care, answered countless phone calls about various ailments and accompanied nervous patients to doctor visits or the emergency room.
She will be greatly missed by so many.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald McSwain and her father, Guynell Sisk.
She is survived by her mother Annie Sisk, her brother Michael Sisk, her 3 children, Deborah (Matt Gregory), David, and Terri (Eric Kiss), as well as her 4 grandchildren David, Rachel (Dillon Dunn), Karis and Micah remain here to remember her. Her first great grand daughter Alice will be joining our family in the coming weeks.
A memorial service was held Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 2PM, at First Baptist Church Kings Mountain, led by Pastor Asher Panton.
