Victor F. Stewart Jr., 85, Noted Civic and Community Leader
Victor F. Stewart, Jr., 85 years old, of Elyria, Ohio passed away peacefully at EMH Regional Medical Center surrounded by his family and his loving wife, Helen, on Saturday, October 29, 2011 following a 2 month battle with pneumonia and heart failure.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 3,1926 and was an Elyria resident for over 80 years. He attended daily mass all his adult life. He was a graduate of Elyria High School in 1944 and John Carroll University.
Mr. Stewart served with the US Army in the Pacific Theatre and was a life member of the VFW Post 1079 and the American Legion, Post 12. He also was a member of AMVETS, Post 32.
Mr. Stewart was a founding member of St. Jude Church and the church’s Holy Name Society and was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. He also belonged to the Elyria Kiwanis and Elyria Jaycees.
He was employed by Aetna Life and Casualty as an agent. A member of the Million Dollar Round Table, he was president of Stewart-Behnam Insurance Agency that has now merged into The Hoffman Group. He was also a founding director of Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan.
A 20 year CYO Basketball Coach and Little League North Baseball Coach for 23 years, he was a member of the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Stewart was a former member of the EMH Board of Directors and he served on the Board of Trustees of LCCC for 16 years.
Mr. Stewart was a noted civic and community leader and served on Elyria City Council in the 1950’s; was the Council President in 1958; appointed Mayor at age 33 in 1959; Elyria Democratic Party Chairman for 18 years; Lorain County Party Chairman for 7 years; a member of Lorain County Board of Election for 30 years; attended 3 Presidential Conventions, including Chicago, IL. in 1968; and a voting member of the Electoral College. He was a friend to US Senators including Sherrod Brown; Governors of Ohio, including Dick Celeste; Congresswomen Betty Sutton and Marcy Kaptur; and Presidents, Jimmy Carter and Lydon Johnson.
Surviving him are his loving wife of 62 years, Helen (nee Murray); ten children, Barbara (Harry) Thomas of Milledgeville, GA., Mark (Sandy) Stewart of Elyria, Kathleen (Mohammad) Nilforoushan of Plano, TX., Michele (Anthony) Lucki of Mount Gilead, OH., Kirk Stewart of Elyria, Connie (Kenneth) Norton of Springboro, OH., Joan (Richard) Turner of Grafton, Scott Stewart of Davie, FL., Denice (Gregory) Anderson of Elyria, Victor F. (Lynette) Stewart III of Elyria; 25 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Several cousins, nieces and nephews also survive.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Victor F. Sr. and Mae L. (nee Tomasek) Stewart; and one brother, Richard J. Stewart on October 5, 2011.
Friends will be received at St Jude Church, 590 Poplar Street, Elyria, Ohio on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. A funeral mass will be in church on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. with the Reverend Father Frank P. Kosem, Pastor, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, tax-deductible contributions may be made payable to the Lorain County Community College Foundation at 1005 North Abbe Rd., Elyria, OH 44035, in memory of Victor Stewart to be used to support student scholarships.
Reichlin Roberts Funeral Home, 327 Cleveland Street, Elyria, Ohio 44035 is handling the arrangements.