Jody Louise (Smith) Swatling, 51, succumbed to cancer on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at her home in Strong, Maine surrounded by her loving family. Jody was born in Utica, NY on June 27, 1957, the youngest daughter of Edwin and Cora Folts Smith of Frankfort, NY. Jody attended West Frankfort Elementary School and graduated from Frankfort-Schuyler Central High School in 1975. She graduated from SUNY-ESF at Syracuse University Ranger School, Wanakena, NY in 1977. On December 29, 1978, Jody married Steven H. Swatling of Waterford, NY at the First Baptist Church of Utica, NY. She worked as a surveyor in Syracuse, NY while her husband completed his degree at SUNY-ESF at Syracuse University. After moving to the Ithaca area where her daughter Jennie was born, Jody spent several years as a draftsperson for Triangle Steel. When her husband took a job in Maine, Jody's career path took a different direction. After the addition of her son Steven, she became interested in the educational field and started working at the local school; later pursuing a degree in education at the University of Maine at Farmington graduating in 1997. For the past 12 years, Jody was a Special Education teacher at Mt. Blue Middle School, Farmington, Maine. In her all too short teaching career, Jody was nominated for Disney's American Teacher award. Jody was very proud of both of her children and enjoyed following their athletic pursuits during their high school and college years. She spent many happy hours in her vegetable garden and picking berries to have a freezer full of "summer" during the long Maine winters. She was a gifted seamstress who, at the age of 14, made her sister's wedding gown and followed that feat with her own wedding gown, a three-piece suit for her groom, and the gown for her maid-of-honor. She recently spent a summer vacation reupholstering a couch and chair. Jody was a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, student, drummer, seamstress, aunt, surveyor, wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, draftsperson, mother, teacher, friend and great-aunt. She will be sorely missed by her friends and family most especially by her daughter Jennie of Washington, D.C. and her son Steven lately of Huslia, Alaska as well as her husband and care-giver Steve. Besides her parents, Edwin L. and Cora Folts Smith, Frankfort, NY, Jody is survived by her parents-in-law, Howard and Virginia Swatling, Waterford, NY, her sisters Deborah Haldeman, Holland Patent, NY and Diane Smith, Pine Knoll Shores, NC and Diane's companion John Dhayer as well as her niece Carrie Haldeman and her great-nephew Jayson Dean Masters, Floyd, NY, her brothers-in-law David Swatling, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Donald Swatling, his wife Cherie Holcomb and their children Samantha and Jesse, Oakland, CA, and her sister-in-law Kathleen Pierce and her niece Kara, Clifton Park, NY. She also leaves behind many aunts, uncles and cousins from the Smith, Swatling, Folts, Lee and McLenithan families as well as close friends. Jody's immediate family would like to thank her many friends and co-workers in Maine who gave generously of their time and supported Jody during her brief illness. It was a great comfort to her family in New York and North Carolina and her children to know that she was being cared for by so many loving friends in the Strong/Farmington area. Friends and family may pay their respects at the Heintz Funeral Home, 408 Herkimer Rd., Utica, NY between the hours of 4 and 7 PM on Sunday, June 28, 2009. A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 29, 2009 at 10 AM followed by a cemetery service at the Frankfort Center Cemetery. Contributions in memory of Jody may be made to the Utica Zoo, 99 Steele Hill Rd., Utica, NY 13501.