Frank Gordon Stewart

When Frank Gordon Stewart walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Frank was and how he impacted those around him. Frank was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Frank wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Frank was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Frank was born on January 12, 1949 in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. He was the son of Donald and Betty Stewart. Frank was raised in the East Coast. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Frank might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Frank was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

      Frank was raised with ten siblings, Don, Pat, George, Peggy, Darlene, Kathy, Rhys, Bridget, Shelly and Brian. Frank was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Frank was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Frank well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

      As a young boy, Frank was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Frank was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Frank took part in baseball. In his spare time he liked working on cars. Frank had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Frank was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Frank was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many friends. Later in life, he became friends with Jerry, Earl and Daryl.

      Frank's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his mate Misty Oulton happy. He was quite sensitive towards Misty's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Frank was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

      Frank was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Frank, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Stewart home. Frank's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Frank was blessed with three plus one children: Ron, Marty, Steve and Tyrone. He was also blessed with four grandchildren, Jessica, Brianna, Zoey and Hailey.

      Frank was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was as a roofer. He was self employed for 40 plus years. Frank was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Frank's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

      Because Frank loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favourite pursuits were restoring and rebuilding cars. Frank had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favourite pastimes. Throughout his later years, Frank enjoyed participating in the yearly Auto Fest.

      Frank derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included baseball, pool (billiards) and arm wrestling. Frank even won some trophies for arm wrestling. He was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favourite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, golf and poker.

           Frank's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of travelling. His favourite vacations were ones that were not planned. Travelling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Frank took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favourite vacation was going down east to the Bay of Fundy.

      Frank was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Gizmo, the dog, was a best friend for 13 years.

      Frank Stewart passed away on February 22, 2012 at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ontario. Frank fought a brave battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Misty, his sons, Ron, Marty, Steve and Tyrone, his grandchildren, Jessica, Brianna, Zoey and Hailey, his mother Betty, and his brother and sisters, Don, Pat, George, Peggy, Darlene, Kathy, Rhys, Bridget and Shelly. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Frank. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Frank Stewart for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Frank was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.

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STEWART, Frank Gordon

Passed away on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer, at the age of 63. Beloved husband of Misty. Loving father of Ron (Jane), Marty (Vera), Steve (Brandy) and Tyrone (Kim). Grandfather of Jessica, Brianna, Zoey, Hailey, and predeceased by Erica. Brother of Don (Bev), Pat (Blair), George (Sandra), Peggy, Darlene, Kathy, Rhys, Bridget, Shelly, and predeceased by Brian. Loving son of Betty (nee Swicker) and the late Donald Stewart. Sadly missed by all his family and friends. Frank will be remembered for 40 plus years dedicated to the roofing profession. Visitation will be held at OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Saturday, February 25th from 2:00 p.m. until time of Memorial Service in the Chapel at 3:00 p.m. Donations may be made to the SickKids Foundation.