Robert Stewart Obituary, Death – Robert A. “Bob” Stewart died quietly at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Robert J. Stewart and Marie Biebl Stewart raised Bob Stewart in Pueblo, Colorado. His first wife, Mitzi, and siblings Mary Ellen Woods (Phillip), Dorothy Sargent (Robert), Grace Earnest (Robert), Julianne Grove (Carl), and William P. Stewart predeceased him (Virginia). Drew Shelton-Stewart (Cheryl), Amanda Holberg, Jack Holberg (Danielle), Hannah Stewart, Sam Holberg, Meghan Stewart, Grace Stewart, Ava Stewart, and Tallulah Stewart survive him, as do his adored great granddaughters Juniper Shelton- Stewart and D’Andre Shelton- Stewart. In addition, he is survived by adoring in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
Bob was just as passionate about the rule of law and the power of language as he was for his family. For nearly 70 years, he practiced law in Seattle, first as a longtime partner with Bogle and Gates, then as of counsel with Short, Cressman, and Burgess, and last as the head of his own PLLC. He believed in the “good and beautiful” in people, but he was also a talented negotiator and a realistic observer. Anyone who knew Bob would attest to his positive attitude, sense of humor, and grace. He embraced life with passion and zeal.
Bob attended Pueblo Central High School and was a member of the ROTC and the National Honor Society. He joined the US Forest Service conservation corps in the Colorado Rockies when he was 15 years old. He enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 17 and served as part of the occupation forces in Tokyo. Following his Army service, he attended Pueblo Junior College and was elected student body president. But law school took him away from the University of Notre Dame. Thus began a lifelong crush on the Fighting Irish. He obtained his JD from Notre Dame Law School in 1952 and was the Law Review’s Editor-in-Chief.
Bob met Mitzi Spiller at the University of Washington Law School while she was studying for the bar. Bob passed the Washington State Bar Exam the same year Mitzi and Bob married. Bob pursued his long-held interest in history and graduated from the University of Washington with an AB degree twenty years later. Bob dedicated himself to his profession and to community service. From 1981 to 1986, he served on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Examiners, as well as American Bar Association committees and the King County Bar Association. He was named a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in 1969.
He was Vice President of the American Heart Association from 1976 to 1977, Regional Chairman in 1979, Chairman of the Board of the Washington Affiliate from 1973 to 1974, and General Counsel from 1983 to 1988. From 1961 to 1962, he was President of the Washington State Junior Chamber of Commerce, from 1989 to 1991, he was Board President of the Historical Society of Seattle and King County, and from 1997 to 2011, he was a Trustee of St. Martin’s University. Bob’s love of community led him to join a ski club, a running and tennis group, and the McGilvra Historical Society, among other organizations.
The family kindly invites you to celebrate Bob’s life with us. On January 11, 2023, at 11 a.m., funeral services will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 732 18th Ave. E., Seattle, WA. There will be a reception in the social hall following the ceremony. The family would like to make a donation in Bob’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601. Alz.org