David McSwain of Durham, NC was 27 when he died suddenly of a heart attack in Mexico. He had moved to Merida for the winter to continue his personal holistic health and wellness program, which heavily relied on sunlight and warmth. 

David was born in Bristol, Tennessee, adored from the moment he came into this world by his two delighted parents (Jeff and Susan) and three smitten older sisters (Emily, Caroline, and Malissa). After moving with his family from Bristol in 1998, David lived in Gate City, VA; St. Andrews, Scotland; and Durham. 

From the beginning, David was filled with an abundance of passion: for the favorite cowboy boots he refused to take off even to sleep; for the books that he devoured start to finish; for the family dog Cassi who grew up by his side, step for step; for UNC basketball; for Trinity School grade school friends who were fellow outdoor adventurers and ping pong obsessives. David was passionate about everything he did. (And if he didn’t feel passionate about something, he wouldn’t do it.) Growing up, David was always ready for the next sports season, and even as his interests evolved over the years, David’s zeal for one thing never faltered: soccer. 

David loved playing soccer, and he was good at it. With quiet confidence and poise on the pitch he was a graceful and visionary midfielder. He was more alive on the soccer field than anywhere else, and his obsession with the sport was unwavering for 27 years. David loved soccer, and we loved watching him love it.  

Tall and strong, David was in constant motion; in addition to soccer, he enjoyed all-out battles on the basketball court with his brother-in-law Alex and racing his sisters in impromptu 100-meter dashes on the beach. But he was so much more than his athleticism, so much deeper. He was alert, strategic, and drily witty, always ready with a sarcastic text message or clever handwritten note. David was kind and wise beyond his years — an incredible listener, meaningfully present as a teammate, sibling, son, grandson, and companion, ready to help others process and navigate challenges big or small. He was understated but unbelievably smart, a (mostly) undefeated master of family favorite games like Quiddler, Rummikub and Sudoku. In all things he was driven by an unquenchable curiosity and was always, always, always seeking knowledge.

David attended Riverside High School and was an honor roll student and all conference soccer player. He accepted a soccer scholarship to Washington College in Chestertown, MD and by the time he was a junior (Fall 2017) had worked his way into the starting lineup. Unfortunately, David suffered a career-ending injury while training after his junior year. He never played competitive soccer again, even though he continued to excel in the classroom. David achieved academic all-conference honors several times, and graduated magna cum laude in Economics. 

David didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him after his debilitating core muscle injury and failed surgery. In fact, he went so far as to describe his injury as a blessing, because it propelled him into the world of holistic fitness and what he called “mobility prehab.” His acquired knowledge of the body went far beyond his license as a certified trainer, and he believed that if his research could reveal results, he could share with others his prescribed regimen, hoping that many kinds of injuries, including the one that befell him, could be prevented. Those who came under his caring and reassuring tutelage in recent years can testify to his attentive interest in finding a solution and the amazing progress they made through David’s unconventional training techniques. 

His whole life, David found joy and wonder in everyday beauty: the baby chicks in his grade school classroom, the crisp air of his beloved Scotland (especially when it was reproduced during the late Fall of soccer season in North Carolina), the comforting sunlight glancing through the trees by his tiny house at The Glen. At every stage of his life he was acutely analytical while also being truly in awe of divine creation, and we often witnessed this pure gratitude for nature’s beauty beaming out of him like sun rays. 

In the last year of David’s life, one of the aspects of his holistic program was his deep spirituality, which was intimately connected to light, love, and childlike joy. He never pushed his beliefs on anyone, and by all accounts was the least judgmental person we knew. He increasingly radiated freedom, peace, and joy as his journey unfolded. The excerpt immediately below is a quote from his writings during this period, and you’ll also see the program that we put together for his memorial at The Glen on May 18, 2024. 

As mentioned in the memorial program, in David’s honor we continue to encourage support of Bull City Futsal Academy, started by David’s beloved club and school soccer coach Jose Santibanez: https://bullcityfutsal.com/

We are always grateful to receive comments or anecdotes about David from those who knew him. If you wish to leave a private message to the family, you may do so here.