On Wednesday, May 25, James Don “JD” Swartz passed away peacefully at Franklin Woods Hospital. He was born August 5, 1935, to Don and Maude Jane Barnett Swartz. He lived a beautiful life of 87 years.
He grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee. He graduated from Science Hill High School where he was a member of the football team. His life displayed the ultimate story of how hard work and motivation as a young man led him to success. Immediately after high school, he spent three years in the Merchant Marines. When he returned home in 1958, he began his first job in the newspaper business in Bristol, Virginia. Throughout his business journey, he eventually became president of Worrell Enterprises that consisted of 33 newspapers and three television stations. He ended his career as co-owner of Swartz-Morris Media.
