Mark C. STEWART

STEWART Mark C. Mark C. Stewart died on March 11, 2011 at Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Toledo, Ohio. Born February 7, 1947 to Reverend William C. Stewart and Doris (Perry) Stewart in Norwalk, Ohio, Mark grew up in small Ohio towns, moving whenever his father was assigned to a new Methodist Church. Following his graduation from Granville High School, Mark majored in history at Oberlin College. He earned his J.D. at the Law School of the University of Minnesota in 1972. Upon graduating from law school, Mark served as a law clerk for Judge O. Russell Olson of Minnesota's 4th Judicial District Court in Rochester, Minnesota. His interest in agricultural cooperatives began during his time in private practice in Dawson, Minnesota, a small town near the South Dakota border. He provided legal counsel for Dawson Mills, a soybean processing cooperative. In 1976, he was admitted to the Ohio Bar and returned to practice law in Van Wert, Ohio and Worthington, Ohio. He was named general counsel to Ohio Farmers Grain and Supply and The Ohio Farmers Grain Corporation of Fostoria in 1979. The company name changed to Countrymark, and he remained general counsel when it merged with Landmark and relocated to Columbus, Ohio. In 1992, he joined Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, LLP where he continued his work with cooperatives and agribusiness. Mark earned national recognition in 1982 for helping Lin-Mor Elevator's manager, Clark Boatman, organize the first condominiums for warehousing grain. He was the principal author of the current Ohio Cooperative Law. He was frequently consulted to provide counsel to worker-owned cooperatives across the country. Mark earned his Master Gardener designation through Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio on November 18, 1990. He loved gardening, spending time in Eagle Harbor, (MI), music, intellectual debate, cooking, canoeing in the Boundary Waters, backpacking on Isle Royal, reading non-fiction, Sunday school, and especially working with farmers. His optimistic outlook, his love for his family, and his devotion to his clients helped him live with multiple myeloma for eleven years. Mark is survived by his wife, Sandra (Fabel), whom he married in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 25, 1977; daughters, Ellen of Aspen, CO and Ann of St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada; mother, Doris Stewart of Granville, OH; brothers, Jonathan (Kayla) Stewart of Raleigh, NC and Eric (Gayle) Stewart of Granville, OH; brothers-in-law, R. Douglas (Terri) Fabel of Blowing Rock, NC and Merritt Island, FL and Dennis (Maureen) Fabel of Columbia, MD; and several nephews and a niece. His father, Reverend William C. Stewart preceded him in death. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 3-8 PM at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey Rd.) and will continue on Wednesday after 10 AM in Monroe Street United Methodist Church, 3613 Monroe St. Toledo, OH 43606, where funeral services will follow at 11 AM. Private interment will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Granville, OH. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, 30000 E. River Rd. Perrysburg, OH 43551 or Monroe Street United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be shared with the family by visiting our website at: www.walkerfuneralhomes.com