David Stewart

David Richard Stewart passed away at his home on June 10, 2025. He was born June 27, 1930, in Bonnie Terre Missouri, the 15th child born to Rev William Foard and Martha Mabel (Porter) Stewart. As son of a Methodist minister, David was raised in several small towns across southeast Missouri. During WWII, his father was sent to St Louis, where David attended Cleveland High School. He returned to Bonne Terre to help his brothers run a printing business they had established. What he learned from working with them was to become his life occupation. In 1947 he was graduated from Bonne Terre High School, then attended Flat River Junior College.

Like five of his older brothers who served their country during WWII, David enlisted in the US Army and served in Korea during the Korean Conflict, and was a combat veteran. Upon his return, he used the GI Bill to attend college at University of Missouri in Columbia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the highly prestigious college of journalism.

David arrived in Wyoming to see his older brother, Joe, who had settled there, and to go on a fishing trip. He never left. He worked for the Casper Star Tribune, and Oil City Printers before establishing his own printing company, Natrona Printing, where he worked until his retirement. In 1978, he married Joyce Gillespie (Hecker), and they remained married until her death in 2008.

David was a life member of the Elks Lodge, loved golf and loved a cold beer. His favorite place was Johnnie-O’s, later named The Backdoor Lounge, where he made many, many good and faithful friends over the years. David had a soft spot for animals, the family always had at least one dog and cared for many stray cats over the years. He was proceeded in death by his two children from his previous marriage, Paul Carter Stewart in 1963 and Suzanne Margaret Stewart in 1964; wife Joyce, in 2008; son-in-law, Jim Craft in 2020; his parents and all of his 14 siblings, and several of his nieces and nephews. David was also proceeded in death by many, many beloved pets.

David is survived by his daughter, Lisa Gillespie-Craft, and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.

David will be very missed by everyone, including his good friend, Scott Novotny, who never failed to visit Dave and helped him in many, many ways; and his caregivers Jamie Ferguson and Ani Gruber, without who’s help, he could not have stayed in his home in his later years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Paws2Help Foundation, in care of Altitude Veterinary Hospital, 3155 CY Avenue, Casper, WY 82604, (307) 234-7333, attention to Andrea Neumiller. Paws2Help is a non-profit established by Lisa Craft, to provide veterinary care to homeless animals, a cause very close to David’s heart.

Services for David are at the First United Methodist Church on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 11:00 am, with a reception to follow. Military Honors will be held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at the Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery at 1:30 pm (following the reception)