EMORY STEWART

NEWTON, KANSAS-Graveside services for Emory Lee Stewart, 90, Newton, Kansas, formerly of Roff, Oklahoma, are 10:30 a.m. Friday at the East Hill Cemetery in Roff. Rev. Thomas Mark Stewart will officiate.

Mr. Stewart died Monday, May 24, 2010 at his home. He was born November 25, 1919 at Cortland, Ohio to Charles Franklin and Edna Mae Williams Stewart. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Ohio State University.

He married Mildred Beth Wise on November 25, 1943 in Amarillo, Texas. She preceded him in death on October 18, 2006. Mr. Stewart was a chemical engineer. He worked for DuPont in a government smokeless powder plant during most of World War II in Oklahoma. He was drafted into the U. S. Army at the close of the war and tested and stabilized poison gas bombs in Arizona for nearly a year. After the war, he returned to DuPont nitro-cellulose plant in New Jersey before transferring to government ordnance plant in Indiana. When it closed in 1959, he joined Astrodyne, later called Rocketdyne, in McGregor, Texas, working at a solid propellant rocket plant. After eight years in Centeral Texas, he returned to Oklahoma taking a position at Tinker AFB, working in the AF Civil Service in aircraft maintenance. In 1971, he transferred to Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, and worked there until his retirement in 1983. As a Chemical Engineer he was a part of developing the delivery system for the Atlas missile system for early space flights with Astrodyne. Earlier in his professional career, as he worked with DuPont, he was on the team of chemists that helped stabilize gunpowder for general mass production and usage. He was a professional member of several National Chemical Organizations.

Mr. Stewart had developed an enjoyment for fossil and arrowhead hunting with his father-in-law, Bert Wise. This love of fossils and minerals yielded numerous museum-quality pieces from around the world. He was a member of the Fairborn, Ohio Rock Club. Also, with his wife, he had many trips overseas including China, and RV trips behind the Iron Curtain in the mid-80's and England. They were members of the Presbyterian Church in Fairborn.

He was a square dancer with his wife Beth, and often gave presentations involving his work to professional groups.

Survivors include four sons, John Emory Stewart and wife Joy, David James Stewart and wife Martha, Thomas Mark Stewart and wife Susan, and Roger Leigh Stewart and wife Dee; six grandchildren; five great grandchildren; a brother, Ralph Stewart and wife, Donna; a sister-in-law, Rowena Wise Piper and husband Don; nephews, nieces and many special family members from his wife's family that he considered his family as well.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Bill and Sam; and one sister, Kathryn.

Bearers will be John Emory Stewart, David James Stewart, Thomas Mark Stewart, Roger Leigh Stewart, Seth Stewart, Abel Stewart, and Nathan Stewart.