They Go On in Memory of Grandpa

On what should have been one of the happiest days of his life, Chris Swan knew someone very influential was missing last Saturday during graduation ceremonies at Bellflower St. John Bosco.

For Chris and his twin brother, Troy, their grandfather was the person who guided, protected, nurtured, sheltered and willed them to succeed since they were 3-year-olds.

He was in the stands at the Arrowhead Pond in March when Chris scored 11 points and helped St. John Bosco win the Southern Section Division II-AA basketball championship. He’d watch whenever Troy ran track for the Braves.

Azzie Mitchell had little money and was in poor health because of diabetes. He and the boys lived in an apartment in South Los Angeles. They had no car, no computer, no cable television. But Azzie dedicated his life to making sure his two grandsons were focused on the future.

“All these years, I’ve been trying to get them prepared for college,” he told me last January.

The story of how the Swan boys had made it this far was compelling enough.

Chris was an honors student who completed his school reports by writing them in pen at home, then typing them on a computer in the school library. He and his brother got to school in a one-hour commute by taking the Metro Rail, then a bus. He couldn’t watch college basketball games on ESPN, so he read the newspaper the next day to find out scores.

These were mere inconveniences compared to the big struggle of trying to reach college.

At age 2, the boys were handed over to the Arizona social services department by their father, a man they never knew. Their mother was out of their life by age 3. Both parents were involved with drugs.

Enter Azzie, who took them in, moved to Watts and tried to teach them right from wrong .

“I had a dope dealer on one side and a gang hangout on the other side,” Azzie said. “They tried to get my boys.”

The boys wouldn’t give in. Chris grew to 6 feet 2, became a starting guard for the Braves, scored 1,260 on the SAT and became a school favorite because of his friendly smile and charming personality. Few knew of his plight because he refused to complain or offer excuses. Education was his ticket to a better life.

After the basketball season ended, Chris got the call he had been waiting for. The Air Force Academy wanted him. He accepted and will enroll at the Air Force prep school in July. Troy has plans to attend junior college.

From tragedy to triumph. It’s been part of their life and it struck again last week.

Just five days before high school graduation, the moment their grandfather had been waiting for, the boys received a phone call late Monday night at home from the hospital. Their grandfather had died.

“Me and my brother, we’re really close,” Chris said. “If there’s a moment of weakness for me, he’ll be strong. If he’s weak, I’m there for him. Without my brother, I would have broken down.”

The brothers cried together on that first night. Then the St. John Bosco family of friends, teachers and classmates intervened.

“It shows me how much they care,” Chris said.

Basketball Coach Randy Held counseled them to keep coming to school and not isolate themselves. A classmate, Eric Lane, drove them to school in his car. They went to grad night. And they went to graduation.

With their aunt and grandmother looking on, the boys went to the podium to be recognized. Chris knew what he was going to do.

“I thought about my grandfather,” he said, “but I didn’t want to cry. I don’t know if I’ve fully grasped he’s not coming back, but he’s not, so you have to keep going. We’re stronger for what he did.”

Like a guardian angel who came when needed, Azzie left before he had the chance to see his grandsons cross the finish line as high school graduates.

“That’s the part that hurts the most,” Chris said. “He was just a week away.”

But Azzie’s job was complete. He gave them hope and instilled discipline and self-confidence. The boys are on a path to college and won’t forget what he did.

The twins are prepared to separate for the first time and aren’t afraid of what the future has in store.

“We’ll miss each other, but we know this is the best for us, to get out on our own and make men of us,” Chris said.

The school has started the Swan Fund to help the boys with their college education. Anyone interested in contributing can make donations to St. John Bosco High, c/o Swan Fund, 13640 Bellflower Blvd., Bellflower, Calif. 90706.

There will be a memorial service for Azzie on June 11 at 7 p.m. at the school chapel.

The boys, who don’t turn 18 until November, aren’t asking for help, as usual.

“We’re all right,” Chris said.

But many want to help because they see two teenagers who have refused to let adversity stand in the way of seeking a better future.

“Hopefully, in 10 years, [me and my brother] can sit down and be satisfied with our lives,” Chris said.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.