Obituary of Donald R Stewart

Donald R. Stewart, a retired supervisor for Orange & Rockland Utilities, received his eternal inheritance in Christ on Saturday, October 28th, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 79. The son of the late Claude M. Stewart, Sr. and Anna Mae Knapp Stewart, he was born October 18th, 1944 in Middletown, New York. A lifelong Orange County resident, Don graduated from Middletown High School, Class of ’62. After completing his Associates Degree at Orange County Community College, where he played soccer and ran cross country, he worked for Orange & Rockland Utilities for 32 years in various capacities. During his retirement years, he enjoyed working part-time at Home Depot and Gander Mountain. A lover of the outdoors, he could regularly be found fly fishing the streams of Sullivan County or hunting in the woods near his home. His service to others was a lifelong commitment, serving as a reservist in the US Army for six years and continuing his community involvement with various youth soccer organizations throughout Orange County as a coach and referee. One of his favorite volunteer roles was teaching fly tying to young people in Middletown. The cornerstone of Don’s life, beyond all his accomplishments and public service, was his Christian faith and involvement in local houses of worship. Throughout his lifetime, he held positions of leadership at First Congregational Church in Middletown and Goodwill Church in Montgomery. For the last three years, he attended Bedford Community Church in Westchester County. He was a man devoted to Scripture, committed to prayer, and dedicated to serving others. His infectious smile and ubiquitous “high five” will be the lasting memory for all who knew him, and especially for the children that sought him out to greet him each Sunday at church. His selfless service and presence in the lives of his family, coupled with his humble availability to help any and all in need, demonstrated a life consumed by God’s love in action. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Karen K. (Drizos) Stewart; his son, the Rev. Joshua A. Stewart and his wife, Denise; his beloved grandchildren Caleb, Noah, and Emily; his brother, Claude Stewart and his wife, Rosalie; his sister, Kathryn Martin and her husband, David; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 3rd from 5pm to 9pm at Harmony Baptist Church, 1790 Route 211 East, Middletown, NY 10941. On Saturday, November 4th, another visitation will begin at 10am followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11am at Harmony Baptist Church. A Committal Service will immediately follow at Circleville Cemetery. To honor Don’s legacy of faith, memorial contributions may be made to Hope for Home Ministries (a special needs orphanage in Guatemala) at hopeforhome.org or Samaritan’s Purse at samaritanspurse.org. Arrangements are entrusted to the Gridley-Horan Funeral Home, Inc., 39 Orchard St. Walden, NY 12586. 845-778-3811 or at gridleyhoran.com