Wayland Earl Stewart

Wayland Earl Stewart died peacefully on February 8, 2023

He is preceded in death by his wife Anne McGuirt Stewart of Monroe, NC.  He is survived by his two children: Julie (Charley) Pride of Bowling Green, Kentucky and Wesley (Mary Batterson) Stewart of Norfolk, VA; as well as grandchildren Emily Anne (Alex) Pride Sutton, Will Pride, Wyatt Stewart, and Jack Stewart; nephews Daniel (Autumn) McGuirt, Jonathan (Malerie) McGuirt, great nieces, Cheyenne, Lynnlee and Reese McGuirt and great nephew David McGuirt. Also special cousin Wayne Polk (Ann) and his family.

Wayland grew up outside of Jay, FL.  He was a gifted student and graduated from Chumuckla High School at 16.  His family took out a loan on their pigs to allow him to attend Alabama Polytechnic Institute, later known as Auburn University, to train as an electrical engineer.  He lived briefly in Philadelphia where he worked for Philco.    He met Anne, his future bride, while working outside Annapolis, Maryland.  They married on June 26, 1966, and returned from their honeymoon to find Stu’s draft papers in the mail.  After Stu’s service in Germany they eventually settled in Clearwater, FL where they raised their children.  Anne and Stu were active members of St Paul United Methodist Church in Largo, FL, avid tennis players (they played with the same group every Monday for over twenty years) and belonged to a local bridge group that met monthly.

Stu was particularly proud of his long career with Honeywell as an aerospace/electrical engineer.  His specialization was protecting civil and military equipment from electromagnetic noise that might be caused by other equipment, lightning, or nuclear weapons.  He continued his education all of his adult life, culminating in a PhD.  His thesis is titled “The Effects of Transient Electrical Overstress on Gallium Arsenide Semiconductors” and is not light reading…

Following their retirement, Stu and Anne moved to Wesley Chapel, NC and were active congregants at Weddington United Methodist Church.  Stu was an active volunteer at the local library and was there several times a week until he had to devote himself to Anne’s care.

Stu embodied duty and service.  He was at every recital, concert, and game.  He volunteered at every opportunity at church, school events.  He was particularly active as a Clearwater High School band booster during Wes’s time in the marching band, hauling instruments, selling concessions, and printing buttons and t-shirts.  He devoted the last seven years of his life to caring for Anne during her decline, and his steadfast attention to her and to her needs was an inspiration to all who witnessed it. 

In place of flowers, please consider donations to Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region hpccr.org

A celebration of Stu’s life will be held on March 18, 2023 at 1:00pm at Weddington United Methodist Church with a reception to follow.

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