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Claude Anderson knows he is a blessed man to have known Buddy Swift.

The two were longtime friends, and one thing stood out to Anderson about his Buddy.

“I’ve never heard anyone say one bad thing about him,” Anderson said. “I’ve never heard him say anything bad about anyone else. He’s been a big part of my life and a big part of Selma. He helped a lot of people whether it was helping them with their medication or just saying a kind word to them.”

William Pope “Buddy” Swift III died on Saturday, May 31, at his home following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 75.

The name Swift has been synonymous with Selma for over a century, as Swift Drugs operated for 106 years from 1916 until 2022. Fifty-two of those years saw Buddy operating the store.

One of the reasons for the success is due to his attention to customer service.

Ruth Swift Newberry, Buddy’s daughter, said his father cared about the people and the community.

“He cared about his employees, and he cared about the city of Selma and just always wanted the best for it,” Ruth said. “His main goal was to be a blessing to others.”

Will Swift, Buddy’s son, said he and his father shared a love for the outdoors, as they enjoyed hunting and fishing. Buddy’s father trained bird dogs, and his love for the outdoors was passed down to his son.

Even though he loved what he did away from work, connecting with people was what he enjoyed the most.

“His passion was the outdoors even though he was in a drugstore, behind the counter for many years,” Will said. “I think having that connection with people every day, that’s really what drove him to stay in that business. He was just service-oriented and wanted to connect with a lot of different people throughout the day.”

Jan Justice knew that if she had to go into the Swift Drugs pharmacy, she would get much more than just a prescription. Buddy would ask about her family while taking care of the task at hand.

“Buddy was all about customer service,” Justice said. “It is something that will never be replicated. We were very sad when we lost Swift Drugs, and now, we are very sad when we lost Buddy. He meant so much to this community.”

Swift was a 1968 graduate of Albert G. Parrish High School The drugstore was passed on to Buddy after he graduated from pharmacy school at the University of Alabama in 1972.

Upon returning to Selma, Swift stayed involved in the community. He was an active member of the Kiwanis Club, serving as president and also being named Kiwanian of the Year for 1993-1994.

State Sen. Robert Stewart said Swift will be missed.

“Buddy Swift and Swift Drug Store were anchor institutions of our community, serving as a hub for unity and connection,” Stewart said. “His positive impact on our region will be deeply missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and our entire community during this time.”

Newberry said her father enjoyed being around children and youth. One way that he got a chance to connect was being a Sunday school teacher for first and second grade at First Presbyterian Church.

The store was also popular for children from First Presbyterian, First Baptist Church and other nearby churches. Students would walk down to the drugstore and get some candy and a drink between Sunday school and morning worship service.

Will, whose given name is William Pope Swift IV,  said customers knew one thing that they could count on when they came into the pharmacy. And that was why it was tough for Buddy to retire.

“He felt like if he retired that he’d be letting the community down and his employees down,” Will said. “It was in his blood to be a servant and a servant to this town. People say, well, I wish you could’ve enjoyed retirement. Well, I firmly believe he would have never retired. He would’ve died in that store.”

Kim Shumate said the reason why she got her pharmacy technician’s license is because of Buddy. He worked with her, and he took her and her family just like they were a part of his family.

She said he would have done anything he could to help someone. And he was one of the biggest cheerleaders of Selma.

“He loved everyone, and he loved Selma,” Shumate said. “If a tourist came into the store, he would take time to come over to them and talk to them about Selma. He’d show them pictures and tell them everything about the community.”

For Swift, he never dreamed that he would stay in the business in Selma for 52 years.

“I came just to hang around for a little while until I could go to law school,” Swift said in a 2022 Selma Times-Journal story. “I’m very proud to be a third-generation in the family business. I’m real honored and so proud of my ancestors who started the business and kept it going.”

Funeral services will be Wednesday, June 4, at 11 a.m. at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Steve Burton officiating. A time of visitation will precede the service at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be at New Live Oak Cemetery with Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home directing.