Douglas Eugene Stewart

Douglas “Gene” E. Stewart of Conroe, Texas, peacefully passed away on August 27, 2020 in Spring, Texas due to natural causes at the age of 91. He was born on the Stewart family farm in Milano, Texas on June 14, 1929 to parents Clint Russel Stewart and Mable Anderson Stewart.

The family returned to Houston shortly thereafter, and Gene attended Franklin Elementary, Thomas Edison Jr. High School and later, Milby High School. Much of his early childhood was spent with his brother Russel, playing football, running track or playing the saxophone. However, like everyone in the United States, life changed dramatically with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As did many of his generation, Gene contributed to the war effort at an early age, working nights at a defense plant in Houston at age 12, building landing gears and cannon projectiles for warplanes, and subsequently at the Houston ship channel loading war material on ships bound for Europe. Later on, he worked alongside his father at Ellington Airfield repairing aircraft engines, preparing them for service.

By the end of 1944, however, Gene became determined to volunteer for the United States Navy to actively participate in the War like his older brother before him. In July 1945, at the youthful age of age 16, after forging his birth certificate and receiving his parents’ blessing and consent, Gene followed the path of numerous young (and underage) men and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Attending basic training at the San Diego Naval Base, he shipped off from Treasure Island, San Francisco arriving in the Philippines, on August 11, 1945, just four days before the Japanese surrendered.

Even though the war had ended, Gene served as part of the occupational forces at Las Piñas, the Philippines until 1946. His duties included capturing post-war combatants, guarding prisoners of war, transporting goods and mail to and from the base, protecting the local radio station from attack and avoiding death at the hands of the local guerrilla forces.

It was during this period where he experienced two remarkable things. Gene always treated the prisoners with respect and dignity. While guarding a Japanese officer, he was bestowed an artistic drawing of the “Tiger of Malay” (Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita) in response for the humane treatment Gene provided. Separately, after his commanding officer received word of Gene’s youth from a letter by Gene’s mother, he made Gene a deal. He could stay in the service if he completed his high school studies under the tutelage of the officer, who was a teacher in his prior civilian life. Gene acquiesced and finished his high school education during his time in the Philippines. He returned to the United States later that year and decommissioned the U.S.S. Belleau Wood, an Independence-class light aircraft carrier at Alameda Naval Air Station, California.

After the war, Gene returned home and used the G.I. Bill to both obtain his private pilot’s license and attend the University of Houston, studying Geophysics. He joined Shell Oil in 1949, prior to graduating. His career revolved around instrumentation, calibration and maintenance at refineries, chemical plants, and nuclear power plants across the United States, working at Shell Oil Refinery, Brown & Root Humble Refinery, Sinclair Chemical, New England Power, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, Brunswick Nuclear Plant in North Carolina, and Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey. He also commissioned refineries in Colombia, South America and an offshore oil and gas platform in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. In addition, he spent seven years at the Johnson Space Center from 1965 to 1972 during many of the storied space flight programs, including the Gemini and Apollo space programs.

In 1970, he met and married the love of his life, Josephine “Josie” Stewart. He and Josie traveled both the country and world together, wherever Gene’s work took them, finally settling in Conroe, Texas in 1986 where they remained active in the community. Gene enjoyed his retirement building clocks and classic cars, piloting small planes, riding Harley Davidson’s, spending time with friends, encouraging his sons’ activities and proudly participating in the local Veterans’ group. He loved to spend his time outside and with his wife, Josie, where they were a constant presence on the streets of their Conroe neighborhood, Rivershire, walking their beloved daschunds or logging his daily miles on his bicycle.

Above all, Gene was devoted to and loved his wife of 48 years, Josie, who preceded him in death on November 9, 2018.

Douglas E. Stewart is survived by his sons, Daryl G. Stewart and his wife, Diane Stewart, and Douglas E. Stewart, Jr. and his wife, Isabela M. Provenza, his grandson, Nicholas C. Stewart and his wife Macy Stewart, and his step-grandson, Jeremy Mills and his wife Kim Mills.

In addition to his wife, Josie, Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Clint R. Stewart and Mabel Anderson Stewart, his brother, C. Russel Stewart and his sister, Greta Stewart Williams.

Gene will be missed but is now with his beloved Josie and their Father in Heaven. A Celebration Mass will be held for Gene at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe, Texas at 11:00 AM on Friday October 23, 2020.

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