Edwin L. Stuart

Edwin Lee Stuart was born to Homer and Vela (Bell) Stuart on October 15, 1932, in Wiseman, AR. He passed from this life at Central Washington Hospital, surrounded by his family, on January 5, 2011. As a child, Ed expressed his ambition to someday become a doctor, earning him the nickname "Doc," by which he was known to all his friends and family in Arkansas. Ed did not ultimately pursue a career in medicine, but proved to be an apt student, excelling in his studies and graduating from Melbourne (Arkansas) High School in 1949 at the age of 16. He continued his studies at Arkansas Tech and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1953, with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. He was then drafted and spent two years in the U.S. Army, receiving an honorable discharge in 1955. He returned to the University of Arkansas for a semester of graduate studies. While there, he remembered a girl he had met two years earlier named Carolyn Griffith. He looked her up and after one double date, told his friend, "I'm going to marry that girl." Ed and Carolyn were married on June 9, 1956 at Carolyn's family home in Rule, AR. They lived in several locations in Missouri and had three children while Ed worked for the Missouri State Highway Department. In 1966, the family moved to Wenatchee with a station wagon, a pickup, a U-Haul trailer, a cat and a spotted bird dog. Ed continued his engineering career, first with Munson and Nash Engineering and then, starting in 1967, with the Washington State Department of Transportation. He retired from the DOT in 1992, but continued to work in the orchard he and his brother-in-law had purchased as partners. He loved farming and the orchard produced excellent crops of apples and pears until 2002. Ed always enjoyed being outdoors. He was an avid hunter in his younger years and especially loved fishing all his life. He had a special knack for it and could always catch a fish even when no one else could. He shared his love for the outdoors by always including his family in fishing and camping trips. Ed was a longtime member of the Church of Christ, first in Arkansas and Missouri, and then in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. He established many lasting friendships in his church and was committed to seeing that his family was involved. For the past ten years, Ed and Carolyn have attended the Eastmont Community Free Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Stuart of East Wenatchee; two sons and daughters-in-law, George and Wendy Stuart of Wenatchee and Joseph and LaShelle Stuart of East Wenatchee; one daughter, Mary Stuart of Vancouver, WA; one sister and brother-in-law, Lorene and Bill Moody of East Wenatchee; seven grandchildren, Amy Johnson of Okanogan, Jeff Stuart of Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base, Oahu, HI, Elizabeth (Joshua) Morris and Nicholas Nitkowski, both of Vancouver, WA, Stephen Nitkowski of Fort Leonard Wood Military Base, MO and Jake Stuart and Cole Stuart, both of East Wenatchee; and two great-grandchildren, Emma Johnson of Okanogan and Michael Morris of Vancouver, WA. He was preceded in death by his parents. The family wishes to extend a special thank-you to Dr. Peter Rutherford and Dr. Jay Gorham for the excellent medical care and the comforting personal touch Ed and the whole family received from them. A Commemoration Service will be held on Monday, January 10, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. at Eastmont Community Church, 783 - 4th Street N.E., East Wenatchee, with Pastor Bob Lenderman officiating. Friends who wish, may make memorial donations in his name to the Missions Fund at Eastmont Community Church.

Edwin L. Stuart

October 15, 1932 - January 5, 2011