Don Stewart 1937-2016
Don Stewart passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Saturday March 19, at 5 a.m., after a long battle with heart trouble, finally succumbing to pulmonary edema.
He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Ragina M. Stewart; his children, Donella A. Belshe, Heather M. Stewart and Donald R. Stewart II (Robert); his grandchildren, Melanie A. Belshe, Jamie A. Belshe, James H. Belshe (Henry), Deshea Stewart, Donald R. Stewart III (DonDon) and Xavier R. Stewart, all of which reside in Northeast Kansas; and his siblings James J. Stewart of Lander, Wyo., Earl W. Stewart of Cheyenne, Wyo. and Nancy Ann Brindle of Lynchburg, Va.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald L. Stewart and Elsie L. Stewart, and his sister, Elsie Jane Rowe, all of Lakewood, Colo.
Don was born June 4, 1937, in Providence, R.I., where he and his family had several military related relocations, finally ending up in Lakewood, Colo.
He had a long love of roller-skating, ranching, projects and tinkering. He met his wife, Ragina, at a roller-skating rink in Lakewood, Co. during a doubles skate. They continued to roller-skate on weekends when they could until the mid 1990s.
Through his path of education he went to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Co., where he earned a degree in mining. He participated in ROTC, and spent two years in the U.S. Army, stationed primarily in France. Don maintained his status as a civil engineer and surveyor very late into his life. Don held three separate patents for geological devices for precise measurement of land movement. His chosen field of expertise led him and his family around the globe and into many adventures of a lifetime, living and working in various countries such as Mexico, Labrador, Zaire in Africa, Chile in South America, and various states across the U.S., finally settling down with his family in Denison and working for the Kansas DOT.
Don lived a very full life, with generosity, consideration and humor. He was an active member of Rotary, Masonic Lodge and El-Jebel Shriners for many years. Most notably, he was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America, holding positions from assistant scout master to district commissioner. Don had a very influential and helpful hand in the advancement of so many young men. He had several recognitions in the Boy Scouts including the Silver Beaver award, Wood Badge and most recently 45 years of leadership in Scouting awarded on Feb. 27. As a young boy, he started in Cub Scouts in Miami, Fla., immediately after the end of WWII and maintained his scouting throughout his life. His humor was often seen by some of the patches adorned on his uniform, such as “untrainable” and “the old goat patrol.”
Don had a wonderful effect on those around him, cheerful and playful in manner. Whether it be a young scout working on a badge, contract tweaking, playful nurse harassment or the random cashier at a store, he left them better for the encounter.
Don's final wishes included that there will be no services and that donations to the family be directed to the American Heart Association. He will be greatly missed.
(PAID OBITUARY)
