La Grande, Oregon
Thomas G. Stewart, 82, of La Grande died April 3 at the home of his friends, Kay and Vernon Slippy. A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Daniels-Knopp with Rev. Vernon Slippy officiating.
Thomas was born Sept. 18, 1925, to Thomas A. and Mary Jane (Gale) Stewart in Ponoka, Alberta, Canada. He served in WWII in the Canadian Navy as a Telegraphist Trained Operator serving in the Atlantic, in the D-day invasion, and in the Pacific on board Corvettes and Mine-sweepers.
He moved, with his parents, to New Westminister, B.C., during the war. After the war he attended the University of British Columbia. He transferred to the University of Washington in 1946 as a pre-med major.
He married Jo Anne Arnold in 1951 in Seattle. They had one daughter, Bonnie Gale. They divorced in 1967.
Thomas was an adjuster for Grange Insurance. He later joined the National Association of Independent Insurance Claims Adjusters and was a member until his death. He adjusted as a Storm Trooper traveling to the Gulf States after hurricanes. He was also responsible for five southern counties in Southwest Washington. He was a member of the ski patrol and a Red Cross first aid instructor.
Thomas was a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Baker, the Defiance Lodge AF & AM of Tacoma, Wash., and the Presbyterian Church of Seattle.
He moved to La Grande in 1972 and worked for Denton and Associates. He married Ethel Anderson on April 3, 1978, and lived on Spring Street until her death in 1995. He was her caregiver for the last 18 months of her life. He moved to the Sundowner Trailer Park where he lived until his death.
Thomas was proud of his Irish ancestry and was often kidded about talking “Irish.” He was an avid reader and his home could be found cluttered with magazines and books. He was a dog lover and had many pets. He never met a stranger and had a keen sense of humor.
Thomas is survived by his daughter, Bonnie; grandson, Tommy of Seattle; miniature Dauchund, “Doxie”; and many close friends including Pastor Vernon and Kay Slippy and Janie Norvell all of La Grande.
La Grande Observer, Obituaries for the week ending April 12, 2008