John M. Stewart, 73, of Paw Paw, passed away surrounded by family and friends at Rose Arbor Place in Kalamazoo on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. He was born on August 17, 1951 in Kalamazoo to Marshall R. and Martha (Williams) Stewart. John married the love of his life, Ann M. Kimmel, in 1989.
John grew up in the Oakwood neighborhood then to nearby Sunvalley Drive after his parents had a new house built in which they put in many hours painting, etc. to help save costs. John graduated in 1969 from Loy Norrix and later from Nazareth College. He started at Michigan Bell in 1977 working the business office, yellow pages, and managing AT&T phones stores in Lansing and Flint. Leaving the phone company to pursue other opportunities, he worked for Churchhill communications while getting his engineering degree. John then started Stewart Designs and was contracted to work in Chicago for the Chicago Transit Authority redesigning and upgrading communication network for the local train system. He left work in 2009 to care for his wife, who on November 28, 2011, lost her long battle with breast cancer. In 2013, John decided to go back into the workforce and landed a great job designing fiber networks, contracting with AT&T for IBM, working from his home office. John finally retired in September 2021 after a long career in telecommunications.
He loved spending time on Lake Michigan, sailing with his father on their boat. He enjoyed boating with friends and his favorite place was his cottage on Washington Island, Wisconsin. Being there gave him comfort and peaceful memories of his childhood summers spent with his family.
Preceding John in death were his parents and his loving wife, Ann Kimmel Stewart. He was also a dog father to his late beloved dogs: Gretchen, Katie, and Emma. Surviving are his sister, Ann (Joe) Conrad of Florida; dear friends, Keith and Cathy Reed; Godson, Andy (Jordan) Reed; and several cousins. He was “Uncle John” to the children of many of his friends. His place in our lives will never be forgotten.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Thomas More, 421 Monroe St, Kalamazoo, MI 49006, on Thursday, September 26 at 11 o’clock with visitation from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Internment at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Paw Paw.
We are grateful for the compassionate care John received at Rose Arbor Place. Special thanks to Lauren and John from VieMed. John battled COPD for many years, and died peacefully surrounded by family and friends. John’s light will continue to shine in the hearts of those who knew him, and his spirit will be a guiding force in the lives he touched.
In lieu of flowers a memorial contribution in honor of John may be made to Centrica Care Navigators (Memo: Rose Arbor), 7100 Stadium Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009.
To share a memory or leave a condolence for the family visit https://www.langelands.com.
