John Wayne Stewart

John Wayne (Chip) Stewart passed away on April 12, 2020, his heart could not keep up with his desire to stay busy. Born July 22, 1941 to Jewell and Virginia Stewart in Richmond, Missouri, then raised in Norborne, Missouri where he played baseball and graduated High school.

After High school, he had a tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher. After not making the team, he joined the United States Air Force serving in Spain with a short time in Vietnam as a military Police Officer. After the Air Force he began working for TWA Airlines in 1964. On a blind date in 1965, he met his lifelong partner Sandra McMillen. They married on July 2, 1966 and raised two sons, Rickey and Danny. In 1971, he became a Kansas City, Kansas Police Officer until 1978. The family moved from Kansas to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1978 where John became a Boulder City Police Officer from 1979 to 1983. After two years as a Civilian Specialist for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, he was accepted to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department where at the age of 45 became the oldest cadet to ever go through the Academy, earning the nickname “Papa Smurf”. While with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, he went from a Patrol Officer to a Field Training Officer then the Detective Bureau where he retired in December 2000.

John was preceded in death by his parents Jewell and Virginia Stewart, and grandson Elijah.

As a lifelong Public Servant, John is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sandra Stewart; sons Rickey and Danny Stewart; grandsons Anthony, Scotty, and Drew Stewart; step granddaughters Ashley, Morgyn, and Emily; and great grandkids Brady, Jesse, Joseph, Abilynne, Ava, and Easton.

John was a lifelong Kansas City Chiefs, Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals fan.