. Louis Ramunni Sr., of Melville, died on Jan. 10, 2001. Husband of the late Carmela. Father of Angelo, Susan Handleman and Louis Jr. Grandfather of Daniel, Joy and Scott. Brother of Frank, Anthony, Vicki Vento, Rose Calgano and Mary Pellegrino. Arrangements were made by the M.A. Connell Funeral Home, Huntington Station. Mass at St. Elizabeth's RC Church. Joseph J. Panico died on Jan. 19, 2001. Husband of Rosemarie. Father of Ellen Murphy and Joseph Panico. Brother of Carmella DeLucia and Salvatore Panico. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Martin of Tours RC Church. Interment Calverton National Cemetery. John LaMacchia, 68, died on Jan. 20, 2001. Husband of the late June. Father of Concetta Bellisari, Anne Lynch, John A. and Robert LaMacchia. Grandfather of four. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church, Lindenhurst. Interment St. Charles Cemetery. Raymond J. Beers, 68, died on Jan. 20, 2001. He was former vice president of LI National Bank and LI Trust. He was recently employed at Federal Reserve of NY. He was a US Marine Corps veteran. Husband of Mary (nee Tedesco). Father of Christine Beers Grinthal, Raymond, Richard and Joseph. Brother of Elizabeth Petrucelli and Richard Beers. Grandfather of Roseanna, Anthony, Stephanie, Gregory, Eamonn, Victoria, David and Jonathan. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Martin of Tours RC Church. Interment Calverton National Cemetery. Frank Soltiz died on Jan. 21, 2001. He was a Purple Heart recipient for Naval service during WWII and a member of the Oyster Bay VFW. Husband for 47 years to Katie (nee Crisci). Father of Frank Soltiz and Theresa Mercer. Father-in-law of Brigitte Soltiz and Scott Mercer. Brother of Mary Valinoti, Catherine Vaitkevicius and Irene Sanger. Grandfather of Joseph, Andrew and Michael. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Martin of Tours RC Church. Entombment Pinelawn Memorial Park. Helen Wallin died on Jan. 24, 2001. She was predeceased in 1987 by her husband Richard. Mother of Richard, Mary Jane Trahan and Charles. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of three. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Martin of Tours RC Church. Interment Calverton National Cemetery. Clara Dierberger died on Jan. 24, 2001. Wife of the late Albert. Mother of Barbara, Albert and Eleonor Lombardo. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of three. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Kilian RC Church. Interment St. Charles Cemetery. David P. Klemm died on Jan. 27, 2001. Husband of Florence. Father and father-in-law of William and Diane, Kenneth and Karen, Chris and Susan. Grandfather of Jessica, Travis, J.D., Bryan, Samantha and Eric. Also survived by his brothers, Robert, Louis and Douglas. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Religious service with Pastor Mario Ancira presiding. Cremation private. Donations in David's memory can be sent to Hospice Care Network, 900 Merchants Concourse, Westbury, NY. Liberty M. Serini died on Jan. 31, 2001. She was predeceased by her husband Peter. Mother of Angela DiTulio and Carol Varca. Grandmother of Barbara Frank, Janet DiBartolo, Joane DiTulio, Andrea Rodriguez and Julie Varca. Great-grandmother of 10. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. James RC Church. Interment Pinelawn Memorial Park. Michael Gioia, of Bethpage, died on Feb. 4, 2001. He was born in Bensonhurst, Broolyn. He served his country aboard the USS Fall Rivers during WWII as an aircraft mechanic. After completing his Naval serivce he became owner and operator of Beltway Service Center in Bellerose for 23 years. He was a master craftsman and a gifted artist throughout his lifetime. Husband of Gloria. Father and father-in-law of Louis and Ellen Gioia and MaryAnn and Marty Hoops. Grandfather of Melanie and Martin Hoops and Amy and Kristine Gioia. Son of Mary LaPinta and Luigi Gioia. Brother of Vita Amendolagine and Rosalia Gioia. Arrangements were made by the Arthur F. White Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Martin of Tours RC Church. Interment St. Charles Cemetery.

Monsignor Charles Swiger, pastor at St. Kilian's since 1985 succumbed to cancer Feb. 4, 2001, at the church rectory. He was 63 years old. Born in NYC, Msgr. Swiger was raised in Freeport where he attended Our Holy Redeemer School. After graduation from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, Brooklyn, he earned a BA degree in psychology at Manhattan College, Riverdale, which he attended on a track scholarship. He entered the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in 1959 and was ordained by Bishop Walter P. Kellenberg in June 1963.

His first assignment as a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre was to St. John of God parish in Central Islip (1963-1968). He later served at St. Mary of the Isle, Long Beach (1975); St. Lawrence the Martyr Church, Sayville (1975-1978); and Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church, Roosevelt (1978-1985).

From 1968 to 1975, then-Father Swiger served as director of the diocesan Office of Pastoral Research and Planning. He also chaired a task force to determine diocesan priorities (1977-1981) and was named the first director of a newly instituted diocesan Office of Research and Planning in 1981. He found time during the 1970s to do graduate work at both Fordham and Columbia Universities. In 1985, Father Swiger was named a chaplain of His Holiness Pope John Paul II with the title, "Monsignor;" he was elevated to honorary prelate by His Holiness in 1991.

The energetic prelate also found time to teach at C.W. Post Center of LIU, where he was an adjunct associate professor and taught quantitive analysis and from which he received a master's degree in public administration in metropolitan and urban planning. He was also an avid golfer.

Msgr. Swiger served on a number of diocesan committees including the Parish Boundary Commission, the Real Estate Committee, the Program Development and Program Evaluation Committee, the Personnel Policy and Practices Committee and the Youth Services Committee. He also served on the diocesan Senate of Priests for eight years and on the board of assignments for priest personnel. He represented the Diocese of Rockville Centre in the US Catholic Conference's "Parish Project."

In addition to his diocesan commitments, over the years Msgr. Swiger was on the executive committee of the National Association of Pastoral Planners, a member of the American Society for Public Administrators and the Suffolk County Planning Commission. He also served on the board of the LI Area Development Agency and on the advisory board of the LI Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. He was a member of the board of trustees of Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center and St. Joseph's College, Brooklyn/Brentwood. He also sat on the financial board of advisors of the Sisters of Charity, Halifax, NS, and was a planning consultant to the School of the Holy Child, Westbury. At the time of his death, Msgr. Swiger was a member of Catholic Health Services of LI Mission and Ministry Committee.

Survivors include his mother Elizabeth Cunneen Swiger of Amityville; his brother Terrence C. Swiger of Fairfield, CT; his sister Susan Swiger Munch of Morris Plains, NJ; an aunt and several nieces and nephews. A wake was held on Feb. 6 at St. Benedict's Chapel at St. Kilian Rectory. A Mass of Transferral was celebrated by Bishop John C. Dunne on Feb. 7. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Feb. 8 at St. Kilian's. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery. Contributions can be made to St. Kilian's Centenary Capital Campaign.