Ex-Cats show outpouring of love over passing of Donna Swaim

It has been an especially tough year for the University of Arizona community as we have lost yet another member of the Wildcat family with the passing of professor, Dr. Donna Swaim.

2020 has been an awful year for virtually everyone so far, and as if we needed more bad news this year, it is that beloved Arizona Professor and long-time Arizona Athletics Faculty Fellow Dr. Donna Swaim has passed away.

Breaking the news on Monday afternoon, Arizona A-Club, announced to every one of Dr. Swaim’s untimely passing via Social Media, and the news hits the University of Arizona community pretty hard.

Arizona Wildcats

A beloved figure and icon not only with the University but with the Athletic Department as well, Dr. Swaim has had a tremendous impact, teaching and serving the Tucson Community for 50 years.

For those that don’t know who Donna is, she of course was a well-known and well-liked professor at the University. Mostly teaching courses in the College of Humanities, or within Religious Studies, she mentored her classes, touching the lives of thousands of students. Over the years she taught kids about life and gave so many invaluable lessons that stuck with so many.

So even with the powerful legacy, she leaves behind in teaching, it is her service and support within the Athletic Department that often gets noted the most. Providing mentorship and guidance to numerous student-athletes over the years, it was her impact and connections that she made with so many Student-Athletes, that made her so invaluable to the school, and more importantly, loved by so many.

Naturally, with her passing, the outpouring of love from her former Students, and Student-Athletes at the University of Arizona has been astronomical, as many have taken to social media to express their condolences.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright

Brandon Sanders

Matt Muehlebach

And that is only a few responses. So many others have expressed their sadness, and you can see just by the massive outpouring of love, what kind of impact she had on people.

At Zona Zealots, we are saddened by the loss of Dr. Swaim and would like to express our condolences to Dr. Swaim, her family and friends. Bear Down always, Donna!