Terry Porter Stewart

TERRY PORTER STEWART Memorial services for Dayton, Ohio resident and former area resident, Terry Porter Stewart will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 30 at Ertel Memorial Chapel. Inurnment will follow at Battle Rock Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by Ute Mountain American Legion Post #75. Terry Porter Stewart passed away March 19, 2011 at The Hospice of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. The son of Egbert and Ida (Porter) Stewart, Terry was born on October 19, 1939 in Cortez. He grew up on a farm in McElmo Canyon, west of Cortez where he lived until his senior year in high school when his family moved closer to town. Following his graduation from Montezuma County High School (MCHS) in 1957, he worked for BJ Well Service and drove a cab for Hutchinson in Cortez on East Main St. Terry joined the Air Force in 1962 and was stationed at Lowry AFB in Denver where he trained as a weapons maintenance specialist for several months. After he completed training he transferred to Ramstein AFB in Germany where he was assigned to the 525th Fighter Interception Squadron (FIS), known as 'The Fighting Bulldogs' in the fall of 1962. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1966. Before moving to Denver he worked at Mesa Verde State Park for several months. On May 5, 1968, Terry was united in marriage to Patricia Nelson, of Brooten, Minn. To this union one daughter, Jennifer Jo, was born. The family made their home in Aurora, Colo. until Terry took a civilian job at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton, Ohio in 1975. After the untimely death of his wife in 1983, Terry took on the role of single parent to Jennifer. In 1987, he took a job in Cairo, Egypt working for the US Embassy. Living overseas provided the opportunity for travel and a unique environment in which to raise a daughter. He made many close friends from all around the world while in Cairo, many of which he kept in contact with until he passed. In December of 2000, Terry retired from the Air Force and went back to work as a contractor at WPAFB in country programs that supported US efforts in South Korea and Egypt. Terry enjoyed spending time with family, laughing, telling jokes, cooking, entertaining, and reading. He especially loved to travel with his daughter and mother-in-law and together their adventures took them to places like Thailand, Singapore, Hawaii, Kenya, Holland, France, and Hong Kong. Terry also loved to spend time at his in-law's home at Lake Linka in Minn., a place where he spent part of every summer for over 40 years. He was the President of the Optimist Club in Dayton, an Elks member, an Indian Princesses Chief, and had an active role in all of his daughter's extracurricular activities while she was growing up. Although he would never give himself the credit, he was the best father in the world and I was the luckiest daughter in the world. Terry is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Stewart of Dayton, Ohio; his brothers, Gerald Stewart and wife, Sheila of Sacramento, Calif., Delbert Stewart and wife, Yvonne of Grand Junction, Colo.; his nieces, LeDeane Stewart of Sacramento, Calif., Stacy (Lemmer) Monighan of Minneapolis, Minn., Kelly Lemmer of St. Cloud, Minn., Michelle (Stewart) Crown of Fruita, Colo., and Courtney (Stewart) Kahl of Grand Junction, Colo.; his nephews, Gerald Stewart Jr. and Bradford Stewart of Sacramento, Calif.; his cousins, James "Jimmy" Porter and wife, Dorothy of Cortez, Charlie "Toad" Porter and wife, Landis of Cortez, and Dwayne Wallace of Tex; his great-nieces, Isabella Crown and Victoria Crown of Fruita, Colo., and Sophia Kahl and Lillian Kahl of Grand Junction, Colo.; his great-nephews, Remmel Monighan and Bryce Maples of Minneapolis, Minn.; and his sister and brother-in-law, Susan and Paul Lemmer of Litchfield, Minn. Terry was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Patricia in 1983; his mother-in-law Hazelle Rose Nelson in 2008; his father-in-law Aldrich Nelson in 1982; his cousins, Luane Porter in 1935, Nadel Luane Porter in 1941, Janice (Janie) Porter in 2001, and Jack Porter in 2010; and his nephew, Bryant Neal Stewart in 1979. Memorial contributions can be made in Terry's name to The Hospice of Dayton at 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45420-1890.