Melvin "Puddin" Swisher

Melvin “Puddin” Swisher, born July 2, 1936, lived a life marked by friendship, competition, and a quiet love for the people and pastimes that meant the most to him.

An athlete from an early age, from Kernersville Elementary School to Kernersville High School, Puddin played a variety of sports, and he kept that competitive spirit throughout his life. As an adult, he enjoyed playing golf and looked forward to his regular card games with the guys. But of all his sporting pursuits, auto racing became one of the defining chapters of his life.

Puddin was a "car" guy; whether selling them, fixing them, tearing them up, or racing them, he just liked cars. He was the owner and operator of S&R Motor Co. in Kernersville for almost 60 years, still going to the office until a few weeks before his death. At S&R, he did a little of everything, but he always enjoyed working with the cars the most.

Puddin’s love for racing began at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, where the sound of the engines, the competition, and the excitement of the track captured his imagination at a young age. Eventually, he would experience that excitement from behind the wheel himself, racing Modified cars at the very place that had first inspired him. His 33 wins, dancing on the hood of his car in his legendary cowboy boots after doing a signature backwards winning lap around the track, live on today in the hearts of those who follow in his shadow.

His years at Bowman Gray were a source of great pride. Racing suited Puddin. It required courage, determination, instinct, and more than a little competitive fire. The friendships, stories, and memories made at the Stadium remained with him long after his days behind the wheel were over, and his love for racing became something he enjoyed sharing with family and friends throughout his life.

Puddin's passion, dedication, and skill for racing have inspired generations of young drivers, including his wife. In the early years of their marriage, Pat raced alongside him on many of the tracks as she competed in the Powderpuff races, bringing home the victory herself on many occasions.

After retiring from the driver's seat, Puddin was an enthusiastic car owner. Sponsoring drivers such as Lee Jefferys, Jr. Miller, Danny Bohn, John Smith, and Jonathan " Jonboy" Brown. He was always a great supporter of Bowman Gray Stadium racing and Modified racing anywhere they were running.

Away from the racetrack, Puddin was a man of few words, but he didn't need many. He had a way of making friends wherever life took him and was known simply as a friend to all. Beneath his quiet nature was a man who loved his family, valued his friendships, enjoyed a good laugh, and never entirely lost that competitive streak that had served him so well on the track.

Puddin lived his life much the same way he raced: with determination, courage, and an appreciation for the people alongside him. His was a life filled with family and friends, card games, laughter and stories, and the unmistakable roar of Modifieds circling Bowman Gray.

As we say goodbye to Puddin, we celebrate far more than the races he drove or the laps he completed. We celebrate the life surrounding them: the friendships he made, the family he loved, the memories he leaves behind, and the stories that will continue to be told for years to come.

He is survived by his faithful and loving wife of 63 years, Patricia "Pat" Swisher of Kernersville. Daughter Kim Swisher Idol of Cocoa Beach, Fl; daughter Kelly Michelle Swisher of Kernersville; son Curtis Lee Swisher and wife, Tina of Kernersville; four grandsons, Clint H Swisher of Baltimore, MD, Nick P Swisher, Will T Swisher and Caden L Swisher of Kernersville; his brother James "Jimmy" Swisher of Greensboro; nephews Jeff and Brad; nieces Laura, Lynn, Leigh, and Paula; and a host of great friends whom he treasured.

He was preceded in death by his parents Grady and Stella Swisher; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Tom and Bertie Teague; his brother Roger P. Swisher, and sister Joanne S. Pegram.

Puddin may have taken his final lap, but his story doesn't end at the finish line. It lives on in the people who loved him, in stories told around tables and racetracks, and in memories of a quieter kind of man who never needed to say much to make an impression.

And perhaps somewhere beyond our sight, Puddin has already found some old friends and family who went before him, with plenty of time to sit awhile, swap a few stories, and remember the good old days.

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, at the place where Puddin visited with friends for over 70 years, S&R Motor Co. 

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at 11:00 am at Pierce Jefferson Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Mt. Gur Cemetery in Kernersville. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Crisis Control of Kernersville. 

Pierce – Jefferson Funeral Service is honored to serve the Swisher family.