Robert (Bob) Stewart of Ottawa, Ontario passed away in his 66th year after a brief but difficult battle with cancer. He grew up on a dairy farm in the Chateauguay Valley near Huntingdon, Quebec, got his journalism degree at Carleton University in 1978, worked a few years out west, and then returned to Ottawa in 1982 to raise his family.
Bob lived his last nine years with a transplanted heart, choosing to face life with optimism and gusto. Although he continued working right up until the end, over the course of these years he traveled to at least a dozen places on his bucket list, from Florida, to the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, to Israel. He also developed a new passion: heart-healthy soup recipes. He would do the shopping on Saturday morning and then spend the afternoon trying several versions of the same recipe, adjusting ingredients and amounts to perfect it. The freezer was always full.
Bob loved children. When his boys were young, he devoted himself to serving as a Beaver, Cub, and Scout leader, taking the groups on hikes, camping trips, canoe trips, and spelunking adventures and teaching them about wildlife. If you asked Bob the name of a certain tree, berry, animal, or bird, he could almost always tell you. He foraged for mushrooms and grew a veritable farm in his suburban yard. Homemade jams and his grandma’s tomato butter were frequent products of his labours.
You couldn’t get Bob to eat a dessert if it wasn’t chocolate, or listen to music if it wasn’t 60s rock’n’roll, and he could really tear up the floor with his jive and square dancing.
Bob was well-read and retained everything. He took the bus to work and never left home without a book in his briefcase. His interests were varied, but he was particularly passionate about Civil War history. A fascination with the science of the soul led Bob to write and publish a series of books on metaphysics. He also wrote poetry. Early in their marriage he and Lynn typeset his first book together using borrowed computer space (circa 1980) in an office in downtown Ottawa.
Bob had that proverbial Scottish stubborn streak, but his nature was loving, helpful, generous, and considerate. He was an outgoing and friendly person who enjoyed mentoring young people. He was an articulate debater, had a lively sense of humour, and was notorious for teasing. He remained lifelong friends with numerous classmates and neighbours from his school days and will be missed by all whose lives he touched.
Bob will be remembered with love by Lynn (nee Roles) and their two sons, Eric and Glen (Eva). He also leaves behind his sister Pearl (Norman), brother Bill (Debbie), sister Lyla (Dan), and brother Ron (JoAnne), along with many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Allan Stewart and Helen Beattie.
Family and friends are invited to Capital Funeral Home & Cemetery, 3700 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, on Friday, September 30th at 10:30 a.m. for a visitation and Memorial Service in the chapel, followed by a reception. A graveside service and the interment will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 1st at the Athelstan Cemetery, 307 chemin Ridge, Hinchinbrooke Quebec. Following the graveside service there will be a lunch at the Huntingdon United Church, 182 Châteauguay Street.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation or the charity of your choice.