Joseph Howard Stewart

Joseph H. STEWART passed away peacefully at home Friday evening August 21, 2015, age 91. Born in Olathe, KS to Harry Stewart and Dorothy Nelson on February 21, 1924. He graduated from Naval Flight Training at Corpus Christi, TX in 1944. He flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat out of Melbourne, FL. Due to injuries he did not serve in WWII. In 1946 at Savanah, GA he join the Merchant Marines. After returning home to Olathe he met Barbara Sheets whom he married in 1950 before being commissioned aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier "USS Boxer" with the flight squadron "The Bitter Birds". He flew a Vought F4U-1 Corsair as a Lt. Senior Grade during the Korean War. In 1953 he joined Chicago & Southern Airlines as a commercial pilot before it merged with Delta Airlines. He flew copilot on Douglas DC-3s, continuing on flying for Delta as a First Officer on DC-6s and DC-7s. He was furloughed in 1954 from Delta. Moving to Miami the same year he joined National Airlines where he achieved Captain status at age 35 flying Convair-340 and 440s out of the NYC base in 1959. Over the years he flew many variety of aircraft including the Lockheed Electra and Boeing 727. He ended the list qualifying as Captain on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in 1976 while based in Miami, FL. He remained in Miami with National Airlines until it merged with Pan American Airlines where he continued flying DC-10s as Captain. In 1984 he retired from PANAM. His wife predeceased him in 1995. Later moving to Southwest Ranches, FL he married Laura Driskell in 2005. After retirement he continued his life-long hobby of rodeo tie-down calf roping, acquiring his last cowpony at age 85. He is survived by his wife Laura, his daughter Marsha Brentlinger, his sons Randy and Joel Stewart, their spouses, children, and grandchild, plus his sister Jean Thompson, and her family. His ashes will be inurned in Arlington National Cemetery, VA in the spring of 2016.?