Obituary of Barbara M. Stewart

Barbara M. Stewart, of Neversink, passed away surrounded by family on May 20, 2021.  She was 79 years old.

Barbara was born on July 22, 1941 on a dairy farm in Neversink, NY to Walter Irwin Edwards, Sr. and Helen Cutler Edwards.  She spent her entire life on the family homestead and raised her children there as well.  She attended grammar school in the one-room schoolhouse on Mutton Hill Road in Neversink, and graduated high school from Tri-Valley Central School after it was built. She married the love of her life, Richard R. Stewart on October 14, 1962.

Barbara was a dedicated wife, homemaker, and mother, as well as an active member of the community.  She was a Brownie Troop Leader, a “mom” who always had her heart and arms open to others. She loved to crochet and made many blankets and bed dolls.  She was a talented baker who made wedding cakes and doll cakes. She also enjoyed repairing vehicles with her husband; she could rebuild an engine and drive anything.  Sharing the same love of her country and the American flag as her husband, Barbara was a member of several Veteran Auxiliary organizations, including the 82nd Airborne Division Association Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Military Order of the Purple Heart Auxiliary, Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, to name just a few. Most of all, she loved her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews; she always smiled when they were around her. Barbara touched many lives in small ways and was a faithful and devoted wife, caring for her husband through sickness until the end. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Barbara leaves behind to cherish her memory her son, David Stewart and his wife Kelly of Loch Sheldrake; her daughter Anne Willis and her husband Michael of Neversink; her grandchildren, Zachary, Dominic, Chloe, Kyle, and Jessica; and several nieces and nephews.  She is predeceased by her husband, Richard R. Stewart, her father, Walter I. Edwards Sr., her mother, Helen Cutler, her sisters, Mary Frasca and Shirley Samyn, and her brother, Walter I. Edwards, Jr. 

Barbara endured a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, and her children would like to thank all who prayed and helped them through the journey, especially HOSPICE of Orange and Sullivan County.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, May 23rd, 2021 from 6-9 pm at Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, 396 State Route 52, in Woodbourne, NY.  A funeral service will take place on Monday, May 24th, at 10 am at the funeral home, followed by interment at the Veterans Cemetery in Liberty, NY. Social distancing guidelines set forth by the New York State Department of Health will be in place; masks must be worn at all times.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barbara’s memory to HOSPICE of Orange and Sullivan County, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, New York 12550, or visit https://hospiceoforange.com/.

Arrangements are under the care of Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, 396 State Route 52, Woodbourne. For additional information, contact the funeral home at 845-434-7363 or visit the website at www.colonialfamilyfuneralhomes.com.