April 15, 1931 - January 23, 2012
DonnaClaire "Donna" Stewart Obituary
Donna died peacefully January 23, 2012 in Spokane, Washington. She was born April 15, 1931, the only child of Anna Cecile Lindquist and Albert Lee Olson in Tioga, North Dakota. Donna graduated from John R. Rogers High School in the class of 1949. She was a very popular and active student. Her honors included being the President of the Future Homemakers of America (FHA) and a member of the National Honor Society. Donna became a medical-dental assistant and was highly regarded by her employers in that field. It was Donna?s ambition to attend Whitworth College for Pre-Medicine and WSC to become a medical doctor. However love, marriage, and a new life soon intervened. Donna met a handsome Captain William Robert Stewart, a 1950 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and on December 27, 1953, they married at the old chapel in Fort George Wright. Donna and Bill were blessed by the birth of a son, Andrew Douglas Stewart on July 30, 1954 at Harris County Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Subsequent early career moves took Captain and Donna Stewart to Midland, Michigan, Bellevue, Washington, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Then in 1961, they began an adventurous two years in Paris, France. While Bill managed a joint venture company for Honeywell, Donna learned the language and the French culture, toured much of Europe, and helped the couple discover many new lifetime friends. Donna was a bit of a late bloomer in the field of athletics. However, in her travels around the world with her husband and son, she became an excellent skier, a long distance swimmer, a scuba diver, and took lessons to fly light aircraft. In addition to her athletic activities, she enjoyed ballroom dancing and had a secret desire to become a ballet dancer. In 1968, after Bill had retired from the military, the young family moved to Glendale, California where they homesteaded for the next twenty-four years. In 1992, Bill and Donna retired from the business world and returned to Spokane to make their permanent home. Donna?s other activities included sewing all her own dresses; being a wonderful cook and entertainer. Donna had no fears about accepting new challenges and undertaking new roles when the opportunity presented itself. Without any special stage training, she performed as the mistress of ceremonies for a gathering of newcomers to Minneapolis and single handedly handled the entertainment with great skill. Donna?s most attractive attribute was her beautiful smile. Combined with her special charismatic aura and personal magnetism, she was always able to light up a room for others. Donna had a very warm and nurturing personality. She always found time to devote her abilities and efforts toward helping other people, especially elder friends when they needed transportation to appointments. Donna?s penchant for helping others was frequently lavished on her son?s high school friends, giving them an open ear and thoughtful ideas to solve their questions about life and approach its challenges. From a very modest beginning, Donna matured into a great woman and a wonderful wife and mother. We miss her deeply. She was that special lady who had so much to give to the world and gave it so unselfishly. She was a valiant and determined fighter, with a will of steel that helped her live more than ten months longer than anyone had predicted. With her graceful passing on Monday evening, Donna?s suffering and pains quickly ended. She will surely dwell in the house of our Lord forever. Donna is survived by her husband Bill, son Andrew and his wife Suzanne and granddaughter Brianna. A funeral service honoring Donna C. Stewart?s extraordinary soul and life will be held at 2:30pm on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Heritage Funeral Home.
Comments