Derrell Dean Stewart
Master Sergeant Derrell Dean Stewart, 79, of Westerville Ohio, passed away Tuesday (May 28, 2013) after an extended illness.
He was born Nov. 24, 1933, to the late Henry and Ophelia Stewart in Fordyce, Arkansas.
Derrell graduated from Fairview High School, Camden, Arkansas in 1951. In 1953 he enlisted in the United States Air Force, and while stationed in Rome, N.Y., he met and was married to Mary Stewart in 1954, spent 20 years traveling the world with his beloved wife and family and the United States Air Force. After a successful career in the Air Force he retired in 1974 a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam wars, and settled in Columbus, Ohio, where he went to work for Sears, Roebuck & Co., later retiring from Sears in 1991. Derrell touched the lives of many people throughout his life by his warm and friendly personality, interesting stories, and his willingness to always lend a helping hand, but his greatest accomplishments were his passion for loving and caring for his family, and his 57-year marriage to his loving wife Mary. Prior to his illness, Derrell was an active member at St. Mary's Catholic Church. His greatest enjoyment was spending time with his family and friends, attending his grandchildren's activities, and participating in an occasional car show with his wife in their 1967 Ford Galaxy 500.
Derrell is survived by his three children and spouses: Dan and Mary Stewart; Kathy and Scott Winn; and Tom and Kris Stewart; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren of the Columbus, Ohio area.
Preceded in death by his loving wife Mary Stewart, parents Henry and Ophelia Stewart, and sister Mary Frances Wilson. Visitation will be held noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 5 at Hill Funeral Home, 220 S. State St., Westerville, Ohio. Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m. at Resurrection Cemetery Chapel. Donations can be made to the American Lung Association.
Published in The Delaware Gazette on June 3, 2013