Fred Stewart

"FRED STEWART, III, 85, of Granby lost a 7 year battle with cancer. He died at home with Hospice Care. Fred was born in Ava, Missouri, to Fred Stewart, Jr., and Eloise Gardner Stewart. He was raised by his mother and grandparents in Missouri. His mother remarried and moved to Michigan where he graduated from Hartford High School. He moved to New Jersey, met and lived with his father while he attended Stevens Institute of Technology. He met Howard Bartholomew at the Budd Lake Airport and traded work for flight instruction. When Bart moved to the Princeton Airport, Fred came with him and became the flight instructor and charter pilot. He met Alice Gordon on a train in 1955, and they married on November 7, 1956. A week later, Fred entered basic training in the U.S. Army at Fort Dix. He was transferred to Fort Rucker, Alabama, which Fred and Alice referred to as overseas duty. He graduated first in his class in airplane mechanics, and stayed on as an instructor. He met Richard Collins and took over running the post flying club. Fred and Richard were friends for 60 years and saw each other at aviation meetings, seminars and an aviation fraternity. While in Alabama, Fred crop dusted and there was never a bug in the 26 foot long trailer. A resident of that trailer, Elmer was their first cat of many over the years. Special cats were Dwight, Mamie, Sparky, Lucy, Fairy (Fairfield), and Wilbur. In 1958, Fred’s corporate flying career began. In New Jersey, he flew for a doctor with race horses (while also serving as the business manager of the hospital), then for StarFlite which meant a move to Westchester County (NY) Airport. Fred’s great friend Jim Harrison resigned as a pilot at StarFight, and Fred asked for a job there an hour later. He then followed Jim to FMC Corporation, where Fred flew for 32 years, in White Plains, NY, Philadelphia, and Chicago. He was Chief Pilot and Manager of the Aviation Department, overseeing five locations and six airplanes, including one in Argentina. He attended many symposiums, the National Business Aircraft Association, and Dassault meetings in France. Fred and Alice flew the Concorde to Chester, UK, to view a new British Airways jet. Fred flew the first corporate Falcon 50 in the US. He received many awards from Flight Safety, from NBAA, and received the Wilbur Wright award for 50 years of safe flying. He leaves his wife of 62 years, Alice, "the wind beneath my wings" who moved, had babies, dealt with floods, decisions, repairs and more while Fred flew all over the world. He is survived by his son Robert of Glenwood, HI, and son John (Joan) of Granby. He was particularly proud of Robert’s son, Sunny, of Glenwood, HI, who is an astrophysicist and works for Gemini, the telescope on the top of Mauna Kea. Also Robert’s daughter Lavender Sullivan of Johnsonville, SC, and four great grandsons, Christopher, Connor, Owen and Preston. He also leaves granddaughters Nicole, of Granby, and Jenna, of Belchertown. He is also survived by his favorite brother-in-law, Bob (Susan) Gordon of Jackson, WY, and extra grandchildren Kyle and Garrett Nobes, Libby, JJ, Evan and Connor White, and Autumn Pierce. Fred owned many planes and gliders over the years, and had his last flight in October in his light sport airplane at Northampton Airport. In Granby, Fred served meals and helped with the COA, was a member of the Historical Society, Friends of the Library, and Church of Christ. Also the Thirsty Thursday Group that met for dinner for 15 years, the Over the Hill Gang breakfast group, and with five regular and many more pilots at Northampton for coffee, flights, and lunch. He called this his Senior Day Care and left Alice to do her gardening without him. A Service of Remembrance will be held Thursday, April 4th at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Christ, 235 State Street, Granby. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, April 3rd from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the Beers and Story Funeral Home in South Hadley. Donations may be made in his memory to the Cancer Connection, 41 Locust St., Northampton, MA 01060. For more information please visit www.beersandstory.com"