William Lester Stewart

William Lester Stewart died Tuesday, April 26, in Owensboro, KY. His parents were Robert I. Stewart and Mabel Brown Stewart of Stewart Court, Owensboro. He was a 1933 graduate of Owensboro Senior High and in December 1941 earned the Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. Captain Stewart served almost four years as a pilot in the Armed Forces during World War II. Upon discharge in 1945 he was awarded a commercial pilots license to fly multiengine aircraft. Captain Stewart often said that he was very grateful to the U. S. Air Force for teaching him to fly.

Along with other duties Captain Stewart flew transatlantic on both the northern and southern routes. He also test flew B26 bombers after they were repaired or modified. His treasured memories included flying survivors out of Buchenwald concentration camp.

Survivors: Marjorie Smock Stewart, of Owensboro, whom he married in Nov. 1945 and their son James Monroe Stewart of St. Thomas, Ontario, and two grandsons, Noah John Stewart and Perry William Stewart, of London, Ontario, Canada.

Services will be 11 A.M. Saturday, April 30, 2005 in Christ Chapel at Owensboro Memorial Gardens, 5050 Ky. Hwy. 144, Owensboro, KY. Burial will follow in the Memorial Gardens Field of Honor Veterans section. Visitation will be Saturday from 10 to 11 A.M. at Glenn Funeral Home.

Bill was of the Baptist faith. He believed so much in the value of education that not only did he work his way through the university but he provided for Marjorie, resulting in her three degrees. She served as a classroom teacher in Ohio County and was on the faculty at U. Ky., and finally retired after serving as Dean of the College of Home Economics at U. Ky.

The family requests any remembrances be made to the charity of your choice or to Bridges for Peace, a Christian organization dedicated to helping Israel and the Jewish people. (P. O. Box 33145, Tulsa, OK 74153-1145) or the Marjorie S. Stewart Non Traditional Scholarship Fund, School of Human Environmental Resources, College of Agriculture, N -212 Ag Science Bldg, North, U. KY. Lexington KY 40546-0091

Online condolences may be left at www.glennfuneralhome.com.