By JoAnn R. Walter —
Many in Tioga County and beyond will remember the long-running Tioga Trails Café’ once located at 50 Lake St. in Owego, N.Y.
George and April Swaney purchased the property in 1992. George, and described by April as “ever the visionary,” created the rooftop Owego Beer Garden, and where residents and visitors enjoyed dining while taking in live music and spectacular sunsets. It became a popular gathering place for special occasions, too, such as the annual Strawberry Festival.
Jan. 24, 2026 marked the first anniversary of George’s passing. He died peacefully, with his wife of 55 years, April, by his side. George, then 84, had bravely lived with an aggressive colon cancer.
April reminisced about how they met, and their endearing love story.
George and April first met on Fire Island, a barrier island off Long Island’s southern coast. It was the summer of 1968 when George, a young business professional, and April, who was working in the garment district, escaped the sweltering city for the seashore.
George, with a Master’s in History from U.C.-Berkeley, had continued his education at NYU, where he earned an MBA, and worked at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street.
April graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her early career included presenting racks of clothing for buyers at the Fashion Houses on 7th Avenue, and where she was also a coat model for a short time.
April recalled reading a New York Times advertisement that promoted Fire Island as a summer retreat. She reminisced about boarding a train bound for Long Island from Penn Station with friends, and then hopped a ferry for the rest of the trip.
Pictured is George Swaney, a former Tioga County resident who, along with his wife, April, owned a farm in Berkshire, N.Y. for many years, and also owned and operated the Tioga Trails Cafe on Lake Street in Owego. Pictured is George in a doorway on the wedding day of his daughter, Dawn, and just before he walked her down the aisle. George passed away in January 2025, and April recently shared their love story. Photo provided.
George and April first met at an island home converted into a bar, and where they struck up a conversation, walked the boardwalk together, and took to the dance floor.
And, always with a keen eye for fashion, April clearly recalled George wore, “Khaki Bermuda’s with a maroon striped shirt and sandals.”
April chuckled, “George didn’t know how to dance, and I loved to dance.”
April expressed, “George checked off a lot of my boxes,” such as that he was never married, he was working on his second Master’s Degree, he didn’t smoke, and he said he loved his mother.
George was 26 that summer, and April a couple of years younger. She admired his adventurous side, too. After graduation from Berkeley, George sold a lot of his belongings and boarded the luxury liner La France in Manhattan bound for Europe, and where he took an extended multi-country journey via Eurail.
Back in Manhattan, one of their first dates, she said, and George being a true Francophile, was at a French restaurant called Chez, and where she tried frogs’ legs for the first time.
The couple married in 1970, and described by April as, “A partnership rooted in love, curiosity, and shared values.”
Their love story then flipped to a new chapter which took them to Upstate New York in 1972. The couple purchased a farm in Berkshire.
April reflected, “George wanted to own land, and soon we had a herd of Hereford beef cattle, and a bull named Big Mack.”
The couple raised two daughters, and lived at the farm for several years. They eventually sold the farm to an Amish Family, yet retained five acres. Their new Amish friends helped them build a cabin that overlooks a maple grove.
April shared, “The farm, nestled along Owego Creek, was especially dear to George. He loved the richness of the land, took joy in working his tractor, and was often found planting corn along Route 38,” adding, “It was those simple pleasures that reflected in his deep connection to the land.”
Their next chapter led George and April to purchase the Bern Furniture store on Lake Street in 1992, and where they opened Tioga Trails Café’.
In Owego, George served on the Board of Directors for many local organizations, and also ran for the County Legislature District 7 seat. Always interested in national and local politics, George’s platform focused on creating a unified direction for the new century, economic development, and reinvigorating the County’s agricultural base, to name a few.
In keeping with his generous spirit and commitment to learning, George donated his body to science via the Anatomy Gifts Registry. The Registry, in turn, noted that the contribution will be significant towards the advancement of medical education.
Today, April, and now in her early eighties, lives with one of her daughters and family in Cheverly, Maryland, and outside of Washington, D.C. Her daughter and son-in-law, who met in France at culinary school, own a French restaurant in the Capitol.
April enjoys volunteering and offers companionship for those who are homebound, exercises her brain with BrainHQ, is learning the French language, and enjoys time with her young grandson. She still keeps in contact with Berkshire friends, too, and as a Berkshire Library member, looks forward to the group’s regular meetings via Zoom.
April grows vegetables in earth boxes at the Maryland residence, and a favorite activity that brings back fond memories of tending to earth boxes with George on the rooftop of Tioga Trails.
April, along with daughters Spring and Dawn, and family, miss George dearly. For those that would like to share this remembrance, memorials can be sent to the Swaney Memorial Library, P.O. Box 608, New Cumberland, WV 26047.
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