Michael Kenneth Stewart

Michael Kenneth Stewart, 60, passed away with family and dear friends by his side on September 25, 2023, after a brief illness. Mike was born on January 29, 1963, in Misawa, Japan, where his late father was stationed with the United States Air Force. Because of his father’s occupation, the family lived in Louisiana, England, and Washington before settling in Austin, Texas, when Mike was in middle school. Mike called Austin home ever since.

Mike briefly attended Murchison Middle School before transferring to Kirby Hall School, where he graduated high school. Mike played soccer, a sport in which he excelled, at Kirby Hall and often proclaimed that he was “the all-time leading scorer at Kirby Hall.” Some teasingly disputed that proclamation, but he never yielded. Mike was a mischievous student at Kirby Hall, but his teachers couldn’t help but like him because of his exuberant personality. Mike graduated with a tight-knit group of friends from Kirby Hall, with whom he remained close.

Mike attended the University of Texas where he pledged Delta Upsilon fraternity, made lasting friendships, and most definitely had too much fun. At UT, Mike studied government, which formed the foundation of his career. He worked as a Sergeant at the Capitol, and later ably served multiple state representatives as a campaign manager, chief-of-staff, and legislative director. Mike then became an exceptional lobbyist and association executive, beginning with the Texas Oil Marketers Association and then the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association (TACA). Under Mike’s leadership, TACA was recognized by the industry as the National Association of the Year, an award of which Mike was very proud. After 17 years with TACA, Mike established his own consulting firm, Stewart Governmental Strategies.

Mike was most proud of being a husband and father. In 1992, he married Lisa Dotin, and they were blessed with their three amazing children, Hailey (26), Jackson (23), and Macy (20). They all appreciated his slapstick humor, often with an eye roll, but always with an audible laugh. Mike enjoyed coaching his kids’ sports teams, riding any rollercoaster with Hailey, playing golf with Jackson, and cooking with Macy, occasionally challenging her to a throwdown. Some of his fondest moments with his family were on their many trips to the Texas coast, especially North Padre Island and Port Aransas, Disneyworld, and Colorado.

Despite his ties to Austin, Mike was a life-long fan of the University of Oklahoma Sooners. He attended the Texas-OU football game for more than 30 years and consequently had an extensive wardrobe of OU garb. Texas-OU weekend began on Thursday and included dear friends. Incredible memories were created from those weekends with dinners at Campisi’s, cocktails at the Melrose Hotel Library Bar, limos to the game with mimosas and Bloody Buddies, fun at the State Fair, and pregame meals of Fletcher’s corny dogs. Regardless of who won the game, Mike proudly donned his “OU pants” for dinner on Saturday night. Mike loved those weekends, and they became even more special once he shared them with his son Jackson, a recent graduate of OU. The Sooners’ victory this year was particularly fitting and emotional for his family and friends, even those who rooted for the Longhorns.

Although Mike was a talented lobbyist, he could never convince his daughters to attend OU. Hailey opted for Texas Tech University (and she’s heard enough about the epic game with Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield) for her undergraduate degree and Texas State University for graduate school. Macy likewise chose Texas State for her undergraduate degree. Mike was extremely proud of them, as he had ties to Texas State, as well. With TACA, he assisted the university in implementing its Concrete Industry Management program.

Never one to take himself too seriously, Mike was gregarious, loved to “tell stories,” and, most of all, make people laugh. If you knew Mike, he had most likely bought you a cocktail, a steak dinner, or both. He loved to entertain his friends and colleagues. Although a die-hard Sooner fan, Mike attended many a Texas football game and threw sumptuous tailgate parties with his Longhorn friends. With legislative friends, he had hosted a Texas Independence Day celebration along the Frio River with Gary P. Nunn for years. He relished his regular boys’ trips to Las Vegas, including the weekend before he fell ill, with poolside cabanas, dinners at Piero’s, Saturdays in a sportsbook, and occasionally missing his flight home.

Without a doubt, Mike fully lived his life. But, he knew how to relax too. He and the family’s first pet, their precious Labrador Jazz, spent countless hours sitting together on the back patio in the evenings.

Although leaving his children way too soon, Mike died with the comfort of knowing that he and Lisa had raised beautiful, extremely strong, and successful children. In addition to Lisa and the kids, Mike is survived by his mother Martha Dunham-Stewart, his brother John Hurley and wife Kim of Olympia, Washington, nieces Moira (Joey), Marquette and Grace Hurley, brother Robert Stewart of Arlington, Virginia, his aunt and uncle Vickey and Ken “Beech” Dunham of Weslaco, Texas, and Lisa’s large family, including, parents Roberta Dotin and Larry and Bitsy Dotin, siblings Laura (John) Tully, Nick (Gay) Dotin, Sheryl (Matt) Piron, Matthew (Amy) Dotin, Jennifer Nesrsta, Matt (Caroline) Nesrsta, and a slew of nieces and nephews (Joseph and Michael Tully, Shelby Dotin, Maddie and Stephen Piron, Will, John, and Ella Dotin, and Thomas Nesrsta). He was preceded in death by his father Lt. Col. Robert L. Stewart, his step-father Walter “Skip” Cornelison, and his nephews Matthew Tully and James Nesrsta.

The family wishes to acknowledge the care and compassion provided to them and especially Mike by the entire medical staff in the Surgical ICU at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. They were incredibly competent, respectful, and emotionally supportive. The family is especially grateful for the love and support provided by their dear friends Jenn and Sam Bassett, Mark and Mary Lane, Shawn Wassmuth, Deborah Polan, Holly Munin, and Emma Davis during Mike’s hospitalization.

Services for Mike are Friday, October 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 3201 Windsor Road. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Mike’s name to Austin Pets Alive or Heart of Texas Lab Rescue, organizations from which the family adopted several of their beloved pets.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wcfishnorth.com for the Stewart family.