Gordon Duff Stewart Jr.

Died January 8, 2021 of natural causes

Born in Forsyth, MT on May 22, 1929 to Gordon and Esther Stewart

Gordon, called Don as a boy, came from Forsyth, Montana, a small town that was proud of its status as county seat of Rosebud County. Since he was too young to serve in World War II, he ended up driving the mail route starting at age 13 while his father went off to fight for his country. Together with his younger brother, Bob, Don Eid, Robert “Blackheads” Skrederstu and Duke McRae, he frequently “held up the corner” down at Katzie’s. In high school, he was a trombone player in the band, a lifeguard at the swimming hole, an actor in the school plays and a member of the football and track teams (Go Dogies!) He was invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl and went on to play football at the University of Montana. During the summers, he fought fires for the U.S. Forest Service. When the Montana Grizzlies played football against Stanford University in Palo Alto, Gordon was asked to substitute for an injured teammate in a post-game date with some Montana girls who were attending college in Los Angeles and drove up for the game. That fateful meeting with Barbara Galen led him to a lifetime of happiness. He graduated from the University of Montana in 1951 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While at the University of Montana, he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduating from the University of Montana, Gordon served in the United States Army during the Korean War and achieved the rank of corporal. He was assigned to the Army Chemical Center near Baltimore and successfully defended the Eastern seaboard against North Korean invasion.

Barbara and Gordon Stewart were married on August 16, 1953. Their love only deepened over the next 67 years. Together they were best friends, traveling companions, parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and partners. They lived in Pittsburgh, then Minneapolis, then Chicago, then Minneapolis, then San Jose and finally in the Phoenix area. While in Pittsburgh, Gordon played a bit of semi-pro football with the J.J. Doyle’s Steel Bowl Conference in Western Pennsylvania (1953 champions). They moved when Gordon’s employers thought he should re-locate. Jobs with Alcoa Aluminum, Noranda Aluminum, Donovan Construction and Dravō Utility Construction created a career that continuously served the electric utility industry. Gordon was a consummate technical salesman, developing lifelong friendships through his work. He was a road warrior and thought nothing of driving long distances to meet with customers across the large territories to which he was assigned.

Barbara and Gordon together raised three sons. Gordon was an actively involved father, despite a demanding travel schedule for his work. He coached youth baseball, basketball and football for his sons, and still managed to play 16-inch softball and curl at the Curtis Curling Center. He was a Cub Scout leader in Pack 8 (Wilmette) and an Assistant Scout Master for Troop 5. He was so proud that his sons all became Eagle Scouts, even though Gordon himself only earned the rank of Second Class before the Scoutmaster left town with all of the Troop’s funds. When the boys were young, they and their friends perceived Gordon to be stern disciplinarian. But over time all learned that he was really a softie whose eyes would sometimes well with tears at the end of the Wizard of Oz or even during a 30-second AT&T commercial encouraging people to call those they love. Gordon was a can-do guy, who dug enormous trenches around massive trees in order to treat their roots and carved a full-sized totem pole for the Boy Scout troop. As a member of the Minneapolis Aqua-Jesters clown troupe, he participated in community parades and visited sick children in hospitals. Gordon had an infectious laugh and a wonderful sense of humor. He loved Dickens and the poetry of Robert W. Service and Wallace McRae. But his highest calling was fatherhood, and his sons have worked hard to live up to the example that they grew up with.

Barbara and Gordon traveled the world together, taking at least one major trip every year; they made friends on every trip. They traveled to be with their children and grandchildren whenever they could.

Barbara died only eight days before Gordon. He was also preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Bob. Survived by his sons Duff (Kathy), Jim (Kim) and Bob (Sheilah), grandchildren Gordon D. Stewart IV (Lisa), Garon Stewart (Jenifer), Matt Stewart, Carolyn Stewart, Emma Stewart, Grace Stewart, Leah Stewart and Scott Stewart, plus bonus granddaughters Megan O’Donohue Weber (Ryan) and Erin O’Donohue Hesselbacher, great grandchildren Avaleena Stewart, Declan Stewart and Evelyn Stewart, Morgan Hesselbacher, Macie Weber and Reese Weber and many nieces and nephews in the Galen, Devney and Stewart families.

Remembrances in Gordon's name may be made to the Sigma Chi Foundation’s Annual Fund promoting academic advancement at the website: https://donate.sigmachi.org/CSiDonate/Give.aspx/606AF958#c.

Private memorial services for the family will take place this summer.