Obituary of Stewart "Stew" James Gillard

Stewart “Stew” was born to the late Joseph Frederick and Bertie (Stewart) Gillard on July 7, 1938 in Flint, Michigan. He passed away at McLaren Bay Region on December 9, 2020. Raised in Bay City, Stew married the love of his life, Janet Emerson, on October 7, 1961. Together, they had three children. Left to cherish his memory are Stew’s wife, Janet; his daughters, Debbie (John) Sawvel and Amy (Steven Friedman) Gillard; his grandchildren, Catherine (Brad) Asbury, and Jackson Friedman; and two great grandchildren. Stew was preceded in death by his son, Stewart James Gillard Jr. Stew loved many things in life, but nothing compared to his great love for his wife. Stew and Jan would have celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2021. Their relationship was one to behold. They had so much joy throughout the years and walked through life as each other’s best friend. Stew treasured his family. He came from a large extended family and enjoyed telling people he had over 100 first cousins. He took pride in his family’s hard-working heritage and enjoyed sharing stories about his family’s history. He was extremely proud of his daughters, his grandchildren, and his many nieces and nephews. A passionate guy, Stew played to win whether that was golfing, volleyball, card games, or the crazy Apples to Apples game at Christmas. He enjoyed competing. One of Stew’s fondest memories was coaching the 1965 Visitation football team, a record-setting year where all teams (Varsity, JV, Freshman, and Eighth grade) went undefeated. That team was recently named to the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame. A great friend to many, Stew loved helping others and serving his community. During their time in Clare, Stew was actively involved in the Lion’s Club for several years, serving as president and eventually at the district leadership level. After their move to Gladwin, Stew enjoyed his time in the Knights of Columbus and the support that organization provided to Gladwin. That sense of service and duty was woven throughout Stew’s life. Stew served in U.S. Military, in the 101st Airborne and wore his military attire with pride. He was always quick to thank fellow veterans for their service. When people share stories about Stew, they talk about his big smile, his infectious laugh, how kind he was, his stories, and his incredible sense of humor. Even after dementia’s grasp had taken hold, he loved nothing more than talking with people, asking about their well-being, and with that trademark humor, finding ways to make people laugh. Stew leaves behind a very blessed family and a lifetime of memories that will make us smile. A memorial service will be held next summer. In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider Memorial Contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association. To sign online guestbook, visit www.cremationsocietymidmi.com Arrangements made with Cremation Society of Mid Michigan.