Obituary of John A. Stewart

STEWART, John A. John A. Stewart, of Horseheads, NY, born May 16, 1929 died June 30, 2012 at the age of 83. He grew up in Ithaca, NY the only child of William and Melissa Stewart. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and later received his BA from the University of Buffalo. In 1964 he married Mary Carman of Trumansburg, NY. John was an art teacher in the Horseheads School district until 1986. After retiring from teaching, John volunteered at the Arnot-Ogden Medical Center for several years. He gave more than 15,000 hours of his time volunteering at Arnot Ogden and was recognized many times for his contributions; in 1997 he was awarded Community Volunteer of the Year. John was also an active member of the Southern Tier Retired Lions club and served in various positions including secretary. He introduced his son John, Jr. to the Lions and they were both deeply involved in Lions activities over many years. A wonderful quote from Winston Churchill fits John’s life perfectly, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." John never enjoyed life more than when he was giving of himself. John was well known for his easygoing personality and for telling jokes and stories. He is survived by his son John A. Stewart, Jr. of Watkins Glen; son, Bill Stewart and his wife Christine of Canton, MI. He is also survived by his in-laws, Nancy and George Forgette of Schuylerville, NY and William Carman of Odessa, NY. He was predeceased by his wife Mary in 1984. Family and friends are invited to call for a time of celebration at the Barber Funeral Home 413 S. Main St. Horseheads NY on Thurs. July 5, 2012 between the hours of 2-5:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations and checks made payable to: The Southern Tier Retired Lions Club c/o Mike Eisenhart 349 Day St. Horseheads, NY 14845. Condolences and remembrances may also be left and viewed at www.barberfuneralhome.com