Michelle Stewart Major USAF Ret.

A dutiful and loving daughter, wife, and mother, Michelle was a star who shined brightly and twinkled with enthusiasm. She especially loved her children and always made sure they had great birthdays, fantastic Christmases, and theme park passes. She cheered heartily at their sporting events and boasted mightily of her son's artistic ability and her daughter's poetry.

As a Registered Nurse, Air Force Officer, and Real Estate agent, her professional life was one of dedication to her patients, to her country, and to her clients. To each career she brought immeasurable dedication, unwavering integrity, deep devotion to duty, and true compassion.

Michelle was born in 1961 in Searcy, Arkansas the only child of Mike and Alice Roberts. She attended Forrest City High School, graduating in 1979, and earned her BS in nursing from Central Missouri State in Warrensburg, Mo. in 1983. She practiced civilian nursing until joining the Air Force in 1986 and marrying Russell Stewart, also an Air Force officer.

On January 16, 1991, with bags packed, she watched tracers light the night sky over Baghdad, then she laced 'em up and deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm. After her first nursing tour at Whiteman AFB, Michelle became a medical recruiter. Her exceptional leadership, managerial skills, and salesmanship led to an early promotion to Major and reassignment to the recruiting Group in Boston. There, she quickly turned the lowest performing Group into the Air Force's highest performing unit. This performance led to an invitation to attend the Air Force's Command and General Staff College in residence.

Thereafter, she came to San Antonio and served as Nurse Manager of the Pediatric Oncology Ward at Wilford Hall. Ironically, it was her diagnosis with cancer that led to her medical retirement in 2000 and the forfeiture of a stellar and promising Air Force career.

Following a brief convalescence, Michelle earned her real estate license. She quickly found a home at Keller Williams Realty where her dedication, integrity, and compassion are values shared by this outstanding organization. She developed deep, caring relationships with her colleagues and clients who became her friends and biggest cheerleaders.

Michelle loved to entertain and her legendary Thanksgiving feasts and Super Bowl parties will be sorely missed. She loved to travel and planned fantastic family trips to Orlando, Playa del Carmen, and Turks & Caicos.

Finally, Michelle was the consummate gift giver. Because she cared so much for the people in her life, she never failed to find exactly the right gift. As with all things, Michelle endured her pain with grace and dignity. She participated in experimental drug therapies which will further cancer research.

Michelle's husband, Russ, her son, Russell IV, and her daughter, Lauren, will indeed miss her immensely, but they are comforted by the knowledge that her 6 years of pain are ended and she is now bathed in the light and love of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The family offers special thanks to the men and women of the Drug Development Unit of Brooke Army Medical Center, especially Jerry Medina, and to the men and women of the North Central Baptist Hospital who were on duty in the ER on Thursday, July 13th, and those in the ICU from July 13th to July 16th, especially Haidi, Tracey, Jeanne, Denise, Dr. Parodi and Dr. Gould.

Michelle's memory would be honored by contributions in her name to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or to the Keller Williams Cares Charitable Organization, KW Cares, 807 Las Cimas Parkway, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78746.