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Stewart James Roberts, a 31-year resident of Stilwell, Okla., died June 22 in Springdale, Ark. He was 88.
Stew was born in Perth, Ontario, on April 15, 1929. He lived in La Habra and Brea, Calif., before retiring from Chevron and moving to Oklahoma with his wife, Katie, in 1986.
He is survived by two daughters, a son-in-law, 2 sisters, 5 grandchildren and a great-grandson, as well as many other extended family members in the U.S. and Canada.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Katie Lee, in 2015, and his son, George, in 2013.
A memorial service is being held at the Fairfield Community Center in Stilwell on July 22 at 11 a.m.
Arrangements are being handled by Roberts-Reed-Culver Funeral Home in Stilwell.
Stewart James Roberts
©The Stilwell Democrat Journal
Wednesday,
July 19, 2017
Submitted by Jan Grooms
Stewart James Roberts, a 31-year resident of Stilwell, Oklahoma, died June 22 in Springdale, Arkansas. He was 88. Stew was born in Perth, Ontario, on April 15, 1929.
He lived in La Habra and Brea, Calif., before retiring from Chevron and moving to Oklahoma with his wife, Katie, in 1986.
"Stew" as his friends called him, was a big supporter of Stilwell Indian athletics and when he was able too, could be seen at the football, wrestling, and basketball contests, and was a hard worker in the Stilwell Athletic Booster Club for over 20 years.
He is survived by two daughters, a son-in-law, two sisters, five grandchildren and a great-grandson, as well as many other extended family members in the U.S. and Canada.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Katie Lee, in 2015, and his son, George, in 2013.
A memorial service is being held at the Fairfield Community Center in Stilwell on July 22 at 11 a.m. Arrangements are being handled by Roberts- Reed-Culver Funeral Home in Stilwell.
Stewart James "Stew" Roberts
©The Stilwell Democrat Journal
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Submitted by Jan Grooms
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Roberts, a 31-year resident of Stilwell, Oklahoma, died June 22 in Springdale, Ark. He was 88 years old.
His family remembers him as an intelligent, quiet, kind and devoted husband, dad and grandpa - better known to some of his grandkids as "Duda."
Stew was born in Perth, Ontario, on April 15, 1929, to George Stewart Roberts and Elizabeth Estelle Fyfe. He was the only brother to three sisters, Doris, Evelyn and Christine.
His high school teacher, Mr. Fleming, inspired him to pursue mathematics, which became a lifelong means of entertainment and intellectual challenge. He attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in mathematics in 1953.
He worked as a surveyor in Calgary, but knew he didn't want to do that forever. He moved to La Habra, California, to work for Standard Oil in 1956 because he heard they were working on something called computers and that sounded interesting to him. He worked as a mathematician and FORTRAN programmer at that company, which became Chevron. He went on to get his master's degree in math from Cal State Los Angeles in 1968.
He continued to attend Mathematics Association of America conferences that were close enough to drive to, read math journals and solve Evil sudoku. He always enjoyed constructing3-dimensional mathematical figures: dodecahedrons, icosahedrons and others out of plastic straws and elastic thread.
He was the first among his friends to own a portable calculator. And yes, he wore a white shirt, heavy glasses and a pocket protector every day to work. Even in retirement, he required that his shirts have a pocket for his mechanical pencil, ultrafine Sharpie and thin eyeglass case.
He met the love of his life, Katie Lee Bear, through friends and they were married on Nov. 27, 1959, in Los Angeles. Katie told Stew she had three suitors and chose him because he had a car and pretty blue eyes. The couple had three children: Cherokee, George and Valerie.
Family was paramount to Stew. He was especially devoted to his mother. When each of his sisters were widowed, he traveled back to Canada to be with them. He was a role model to his niece, Diane, and encouraged her in her math studies.
Stew and Katie lived in La Habra and Brea, Calif., before he retired from Chevron and they moved to Katie's native Oklahoma in 1986. He once made a promise to Katie that he would build her a house in Oklahoma and he fulfilled that promise right here in Stilwell.
He always loved the water. He spent summers at Silver Lake in Canada with his family and at the river in town. In California he always had a pool in his backyard, taught his granddaughters to swim and took his family camping at the beach. In retirement he bought a camper and camped at Tenkiller Lake and swam three times a week. He was an inspiration to others for his dedication and perseverance.
Stew and Katie were 60-year Rams fans and were season ticket holders for about 30 years. They were also regulars at all the Stilwell High football and basketball games and served as boosters. When he died, Stew's booster membership was still up to date.
When they traveled to St. Louis games, Stew and Katie would continue north to visit Val's family in Wisconsin, which encouraged a close relationship with his grandchildren. He would do most of the driving and always appreciated the "good roads" in Wisconsin compared to Illinois.
Car maintenance was a favorite pastime for Stew. He enjoyed every one of his cars and was especially proud of his F150. He was often approached for his cars, which he maintained religiously and kept for many years. He always wanted to know how a person's car was running and if they were happy with it.
His logical mind was evident in everything Stew did - his precise handwriting, consistency in his exercise regimen, car upkeep, daily walk to the post office and detailed schedule. He was a man of his word who always did what he said he was going to do.
He and Katie were proud of their garden and were Bromeliad Society members in California. Stew also stayed active in the Chevron Retirees Association. He, Katie and George also attended the Chulio Livers family reunions in Oklahoma.
Stew and Katie were inseparable and it was rare to see one without the other. They traveled the world together, visiting such places as China, Russia, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, Mexico, the Panama Canal, and of course Canada to visit family. Stew became a U.S. citizen in 1964.
Stew enjoyed his friends at the Stilwell Seniors and Fairfield Community Center. They were a regular social connection as they ate together and enjoyed the musicians. One of his greatest joys after the death of his wife was playing 9-ball with the men at the center and winning a few tournaments.
He was known in town for his intelligence and kindness. His smile, unique sense of humor and encouraging words will be missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by two daughters, Cherokee Himrod and Valerie Miller, son-in-law Steve Miller, 2 sisters, Evelyn and Christine; 4 granddaughters (Jody Collins, Brooke Himrod, April Keeler (Andrew) and Tessa Miller), a grandson (Charles Miller) and a great-grandson (Hunter Collins), as well as many other extended family and friends in the U.S. and Canada.
Stew was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Katie Lee, in 2015, and his son, George, in 2013. His sister, Dorrie, died in 2016.
Stew's family wishes to thank all the people in Stilwell who expressed their condolences, brought food by or treated us to a meal, served at or attended the service on July 22 and said kind words and shared memories about him. We truly appreciate all of you. A special thanks to D.J. and Frances McCarter, who helped officiate the memorial and stayed by Stew's side at the very end. Arrangements were handled by the Roberts- Reed-Culver Funeral Home in Stilwell.
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