Master Chief Fire Control Technician (Submarines), Clay Swafford, USN (Ret.), 49, of Munfordville, Kentucky, passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2012. Clay was born November 30, 1962, in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, the middle child of Bufford Clayton and Carol Bellomy Swafford. Clay graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in Workforce Education and Development. Clay enlisted in the Navy August 3, 1981. His many duty stations included USS Thomas Jefferson (SSN 618), USS Grayling (SSN 646), Instructor at Submarine School, Groton, CT as a "Master Training Specialist", USS Cincinnati (SSN 693), Navy Manpower Analysis Center in Millington, TN, USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) (Gold), Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, IN and the PRECOM Unit North Carolina (SSN 777), Groton, CT where he retired after 28 years in the Navy. Clay was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, several Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal awards as well as various other campaign and service awards. He was a member of the Tabernacle of Praise in Kimball, TN and attended Mount Olivet Baptist Church near his home in Munfordville, KY.

Clay is survived by his loving wife of 15 years, Katherine Bunnell Swafford of Munfordville, KY; daughters, Brooke Swafford of Moscow, Russia, Jade Swafford and Paige Swafford both of South Pittsburg, TN; stepdaughters, Salena A. Osteraas of Panama City, FL, Tiphanie J. Stewart of Panama City, FL; four grandchildren, Caleb, Rayn, Hayden and Calvin; his sister, Angie Coffman; brother, Mitchell Swafford; mother-in-law, Barbara Mary Bunnell Sweet and a special friend, Nelson Detweiller.

The family will receive friends at Rogers Funeral Home in South Pittsburg on Friday, May 4 from 5-9 PM CST.

Funeral services will be conducted from Kimball Tabernacle of Praise at 2:00 PM CST on Saturday, May 5, with Rev. Darrell Nunley officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in Cumberland View Cemetery.

Family suggests memorial contributions to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710 or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.