Stewart Thomas Forster

STEWART THOMAS FORSTER was born at the Berwyn Hospital, a Chicago suburb on the 13th of September 1932. His father was Frederick Forster, the youngest child of his family, which had migrated from Northern England during the 1890’s. They settled in Springfield, Illinois to resume farming in this new country. His mother was Martha Irene Stewart, the first of four girls, whose father had recently moved from Ohio to Minot, North Dakota. The Stewart’s had come to the new country early and participated in the American Revolution, while the family was residing in the Philadelphia area.

Prior to leaving the Chicago area, the Forster’s added a daughter, Carol Ann Forster, who was fifteen months younger than Stewart. Carol was a very good singer, which her brother was not. She passed away in 1959 from the effects of Multiple Sclerosis.

After a few years in the Chicago area, the family moved to Alden, Illinois (about 75 miles north-west of Chicago) because the father employment during the heart of the depression. About 1938, they again moved to Harvard, Illinois, which the parents called home until late 1970s.

Stewart attended the schools of Harvard and graduated from Harvard High School in June of 1951. During this growing up period, he joined a Cub Scout Pack prior to turning twelve, when he joined the church sponsored Boy Scout Troop. While in the Boy Scout, in February 1950 he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and that summer attended the Boy Scouts National Jamboree at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

After graduation from High School, Stewart worked in Harvard for the ADMIRAL Corp., where he took freshly assembled television sets and calibrated them for the best audio and video performance. This lasted until December, when he received information concerning his draft status. Not being interested in the Army, Stewart saw a local Navy Recruiter and on the 15th of January 1952, went to Chicago and joined the navy. For the next thirteen winter weeks he learned about the Navy at the Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. Then was sent to Key West, Florida, where he learned to become a Navy Sonarman (Look for submarines). Upon graduation in November, home to Illinois for Thanksgiving and then report to Charleston, South Carolina for his first sea duty.

The USS BROADBILL (AM-58) was a 220 foot long Auxiliary Minesweeper, which had seen service during the Second World War, been decommissioned and then returned to service because of the naval mine threat during the Korean conflict. Reporting aboard in December 1952 and the following month departed for the Mediterranean Sea. After six months in the “Med.”, return to Charleston and decommission the ship. Transferred to the USS REVENGE (AM-110), again to the “Med.” and again decommission the ship. A note here, that the USS REVENGE was the first allied surface combatant warship to enter Tokyo Bay, prior to the signing of the peace treaty, ending World War 2.

While located in Charleston, South Carolina, after the USS REVENGE, he served aboard the additional ships: USS DIRECT (MSO-520) a new design of wooded hulled mine-sweeper, the USS GWIN (DM-33) a Destroyer-Minelayer; USS STALWART (MSO-493) and the USS ALACRITY (MSO-520). So after six ships in seven years at Charleston, SC, Stewart was ordered to his first tour of Shore Duty.

From 1959 to 1961, Stewart was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training Center at the Naval Base in Philadelphia, PA. It was during this tour that he met Yeoman Second Class Mary Jane Engle, while she attended her regular Monday evening reserve training. They became engaged in early 1961 and married at the Base Chapel in Philadelphia August 19, 1961. After a brief honeymoon, picked up his orders and proceeded back to Key West, Florida for additional training at the Fleet Sonar School. Upon completion of “B” school, Stewart left Mary in Key West and proceeded to Glendale, California (a Los Angeles suburb) for “factory training” at the Librascope Corp. on a new Underwater Fire Control System. Upon graduation, returned to Key West to pick up Mary and off to Bath, Maine as a member of the Pre-Commissioning” crew of the USS HARRY E. YARNELL (DLG-17)(DLG = Destroyer Leader Guided Missile)

Seven month later, USS YARNELL was commissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, Mass. The ship was at sea conducting post-commissioning tests on the day that the USS THREASER sank and YARNELL became active in the early search efforts. After all construction testing was complete, the ship sailed to its first Home Port of Norfolk, Virginia. Stewart remained aboard the USS YARNELL for about seven years and was the last “plank owner” to leave. This led to his second tour of Shore duty, now at the “ASROC TRAINER”, part of the Fleet Training Center aboard the Naval Base, Norfolk, VA.

Upon completion of this two year shore tour, returned to sea aboard the USS JOSEPHUS DANIELS (DLG-27) for about three years. Again shore duty, now attached to the MOBILE TECHNICAL TRAINING UNIT – TWO (MOTU-2) on the waterfront of the Norfolk Naval Base for two years. He completed his last years of Naval Service in the Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW), Readiness and Training Department of the Commander Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic (NAVSURFLANT).

Finally, on a Friday morning, 30 January 1982, Stewart retired from the Navy with thirty years and two weeks service. Three days later, he was in Washington, DC starting orientation for new job at EG&G, a technical company out of Boston, which was originated by three MIT professors. Stewart was going to the Washington Analytical Services Center, Incorporated, (WASCI) Division, dealing with the military and had its headquarters in Crystal City, VA., with an office in Norfolk, where Stewart would work from. He remained working there for twelve years until at age 63, the company downsized some of its staff due to the economy. Thus Stewart became decided to fully retire and go on Social Security.

As there was time on his hands, he started volunteering at the Tidewater Council, Boy Scouts of America office in Virginia Beach. For three or four hours a day, he entered advancement information of local youth into the BSA’s local computer for the next six years.

Mary suffered a stroke on 15 January 2003 and for the next six years was cared for at the “Bay Point Medical and Rehabilitation Center”, until she passed 5 Feb. 2009. During this time Stewart would spend several hours each day visiting with her. After her demise, he remained busy taking care of the house and their two boys. This life style continued until early 2021, when he suffered from respiratory problems and other health issues.

Stewart became a “Master Mason” in 1958 at the Dorchester Lodge, AMFE in Charleston, SC. He and Mary became members of the “Order of the Eastern Star” in Norfolk, VA about 1966. Residing initially in the Diamond Springs area of Virginia Beach, the couple attended religious services at Rockwell Hall, on the Amphibious Base, as there was not yet a Chapel there. Then Stewart and Mary joined a group who started to meet and who would build the “Diamond Springs Baptist Church”. Then in 1976, the family moved to the Princess Anne Plaza area of Virginia Beach, where they started attending the “Princess Ann Plaza Baptist Church”, where they taught Sunday school and the Royal Rangers. Then in 1984, they shifted churches and started attending the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at the Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach. There they have remained and had served teaching Sunday school, evening Bible Study, summer VBS, and helping a church project of feeding the homeless at the Judeo Christian Outreach Center (JCOC).

NOTE: Sonarmen or Sonar Operators were known as “SO”s from WW2 until the 1963, at which time the job description changed to Sonar Technicians (ST’s). About 2006, the Navy reintroduced the “SO”, for “SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATORS”, replacing the “SEALS” title.

A graveside service will be conducted at 12pm, Monday, July 18, 2022 at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. There will be a visitation one hour prior at Woodlawn Funeral Home. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.woodlawnnorfolk.com.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodlawnnorfolk.com for the Forster family.