Stewart D. Button

BUTTON, STEWART D. age 83 passed away Monday, November 29,2004, peacefully at home.ÿ Born January 19, 1921 in Riverside, he attended all his grade school here and was accepted to the University of Southern California.ÿ Stewart's USC education was interrupted by WWII when he enlisted in the Navy.ÿ He attended Officers Training in Annapolis and served first as a Deck Officer, and then Captain of a Torpedo boat in the South Pacific.ÿ Upon completion of his service duties, he returned to USC and completed his degree in Business Administration.ÿ Next stop was Kaiser Steel where he worked in Public Relations forÿ 9 years. In the late 1950's he formed a partnership to start Design Enterprises.ÿ It was one of the first Trade Show Display Design firms in the nation, designing and building displays for Sunkist, Loma Linda Foods, The Orange Show, Rohr Aircraft, Northrup and many more.ÿ After successful run with Design Enterprises, Stewart went into Real Estate sales and management.ÿ This "Dirty Farming", as he proudly called it, turned out to be his passion, as he actively owned and managed commercial, residential and citrus properties in the Riverside area for the next 40 years. His love for boats and the ocean started at a very young age.ÿ In one of his first navigational feats, as a teenager he captained a 12 ft. skiff with a 2hp motor from Newport Beach to Avalon and back, at night.ÿ He always hadÿ a boat to ply the waterways of the ocean, lakes and rivers throughout the US, Canada and Mexico.ÿ In 1984, he bought the flagship of his fleet, "Buttons", on which he enjoyed the open seas visiting many port-of-calls up and down the Pacific coast. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Kathleen S. Buttons, son, Dever and daughter, Wendy. Stewart is survived by his wife, Burnadette, four children, Connie Weskamp (Alan) & family, Corey and Dever of Ft. Collins, Co, Douglas(JeanMarie) & family, Katie and Wiley of Steamboat Springs, Co., Duff (Sue)ÿ& family of Venice, Fl., Carrie of Redding, Kristen of Riverside, Brent(Cheryl) & family, Sandon and Nash of Lake Elsinore,ÿ2 step-daughters, Deborah Lutjens of Riverside, Hannahÿ Dickenson & daughters, Alanah and Delaney Rose of Riverside, grandson, Dever Schwein (son of Dever Button) and 1 great-grandson, Tyler Marshall (son of Carrie Button). Graveside Services will be held Saturday, December 4, 2004 at 10:00 AM at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Cemetery in Riverside. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution be made to VNA of Inland Counties, 6235 River Crest Dr, Ste.P, Riverside, Ca. 92507 (909) 656-3153. Pierce Brothers Crestlawn in charge of arrangements (951) 689-1441.