David Raymond Swanick III

“Be nice to everyone.”

Those were the words Davy Swanick said to his family more than any others, and he spent his life putting them into practice. David Raymond Swanick III passed away on August 22, 2026, leaving behind a family who adored him, countless friends, colleagues, and clients who loved him, and a community made better by his extraordinary generosity.

Davy grew up in Niceville, Florida, attended Florida State University, and earned his law degree from Emory University School of Law. He built a respected career as an attorney and had an uncanny ability to persuade insurance adjusters (and, truthfully, just about anyone else) to see things his way. His family might call it manipulation; but the legal community knew it was excellent lawyering. He was smart, quick-witted, charming, and exceptionally good at what he did.

But as good a lawyer as Davy was, that isn't what people will remember most about him. They will remember how he made them feel and how generously he loved them.

Ask almost anyone who knew Davy to describe him, and one word comes up again and again: generous.

Davy loved taking care of people. He picked up the check for airmen he didn’t know, bought the tickets and happily paid for his kids and their friends, whatever they were doing, never mentioning it again or expecting anything in return. When Niceville High School needed support, whether for a sports team, a science program like NAGISA, or another activity that needed a little help, Davy wrote the check. And when Christa came home talking about a child she worked with through the Guardian ad Litem program who needed something, Davy never hesitated. His answer was always some version of, “Then get it for them.” Whether it was a friend, client, or sometimes someone he barely knew who was going through a difficult time, Davy found a way to help. Taking care of people wasn't something he thought much about; it came naturally to him.

And Davy’s generosity went far beyond what he gave financially. He gave his time, his advice, his loyalty and, most of all, himself. He never did it for recognition or expected anything in return. He gave more than he had to because it never occurred to him to give less.

And through it all, Davy had a lot of fun.

It didn’t take much to make him happy: his family, his puppies, good friends, a live band, and a football game. Few things made him happier than an FSU tailgate surrounded by people he loved, although a beautiful sunset and happy hour on the boat came pretty close. He loved to laugh, loved making other people laugh, and was usually happiest when he was surrounded by friends having a good time.

But as much as Davy loved people, no one mattered more to him than his family.

He was an incredible husband to Christa, his wife of 30 years, and for all those years, he never stopped making her laugh. Davy was the ultimate extrovert. He genuinely loved people and could turn even a quick trip to the grocery store into a social event. Christa was his opposite in that way, happiest with a quiet night at home with Davy and the dogs. Davy was always ready to invite someone over, find a live band, meet up with friends, or make a few new ones along the way. His love of people sometimes tested his introverted wife's limits, but it was also one of the things that made Davy so uniquely Davy. Through more than three decades together, they had plenty to laugh about, and beneath it all was a deep love, friendship, and happiness in simply being together.

While the temperature on the thermostat may have been an ongoing negotiation, one thing never was: Christa and Davy simply loved being together. Through more than 30 years of marriage, he was the person who could make her laugh like no one else, the one she wanted beside her at the end of the day, and her very best friend. They built a life filled with family, friends, travel, laughter, puppies, sunsets, and countless memories. Christa may not have needed the crowd the way Davy did. She just needed Davy. He was her person, her partner in life, and the love of her life.

That same enormous capacity for love made Davy an extraordinary father. Mason and Caroline always knew how deeply their dad loved them and how proud he was of them, and no matter how busy life became, he would show up. 

Davy was the best dad Mason and Caroline could have ever had, and he shared a special relationship with each of him. With Mason, Davy was his coach, his constant supporter, and as Mason grew older, his best friend. He coached him from Little League all the way to the craps table in Vegas, and as Mason grew up, their adventures grew up with them, from football games to boys trips at Formula 1 races. Davy simply loved spending time with Mason. With Caroline, Davy was the ultimate girl dad, showing up year after year for dance competitions, dive trips, and all the moments that mattered to her. He cheered her on, supported her in everything she did, always wanted to make sure she was safe, and never let her doubt how proud he was of her. Whether he was coaching from the dugout, sitting in the audience, traveling with them, enjoying a food tour, or simply spending time together, Davy loved being part of his kids’ lives. He didn’t just love Mason and Caroline; he genuinely loved being their dad.

This summer, Davy and Christa celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with a wonderful family vacation with Mason and Caroline. They traveled, laughed, explored, and simply enjoyed being together, never knowing just how precious those memories would become. Those two weeks together are now among the happiest memories his family will carry with them forever.

Davy was also a tremendous blessing to his parents, Dave and Carol, and a loving and devoted son throughout his life. No matter how busy he was with work or his own family, he made time for them. At least twice a week after work, Davy would stop by their house simply to visit, to sit and talk, catch up, laugh, and spend time with them. There didn't need to be an occasion or a reason. He just wanted to see his mom and dad. He loved them deeply, enjoyed being with them, and made sure they knew they were an important part of his life. Those ordinary visits, repeated week after week and year after year, became something extraordinary: the gift of a grown son who never became too busy to come home.

Davy was also a great brother to Chas and Dan, and to Brent, who wasn’t his brother by blood but was every bit his brother in every way that mattered. The four were Alpha Tau Omega fraternity brothers at Florida State University, and their bond only grew stronger through the years. Some of their best times were spent on the basketball court, where the teams were always the same: Davy and Brent versus Chas and Dan. Their lifelong brotherhood was filled with loyalty, competition, inside jokes, plenty of trash talk, and, most of all, a deep love for one another that lasted a lifetime.

Davy is survived by his wife, Christa; his children, Mason and Caroline; his parents, Dave and Carol Swanick; his brothers, Chas and Danny, and Danny's wife, Natalie; his nieces and nephews, Saia, Braelyn, Nathan, Ryder and Cam; Christa's parents, Rich and Laurie Hardy; Brent and his wife, Trish; and his beloved dogs, Alli and Noley.

But a list of names cannot begin to capture the number of people who will miss Davy.

He leaves behind friends who became family, clients who became friends, kids who always knew Davy would take care of them, and countless people who were on the receiving end of a meal, a favor, a check, a laugh, some good advice, or an act of kindness they never forgot.

Davy spent his life telling the people he loved, “Be nice to everyone.”

He didn't just say it.

He showed them how.

Funeral services will be Saturday, August 29, 2026, at 12:00 Noon at Crosspoint Church in Niceville.  The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the visitation.  A private burial will be at Heritage Gardens Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations to one of the following charities:  The Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 19 Iowa Drive NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 or The Ground Up Project, Inc., P.O. Box 5148, Niceville, FL 32578.  A complete obituary will follow later.  Please keep the Swanick Family in your thoughts and prayers.