Mary Jo Stewart

Mary Jo Stewart died unexpectedly Sunday morning, January 24, 2016, at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low, Arizona. She was 85 years old. Mary Jo was born on January 22, 1931 in Kenton, Hardin County, Ohio to her parents, the late Fay A. and Ermal I. (Miller) Smith.

She was a graduating member of Kenton High School's Class of 1949. While in high school, Mary Jo was a member of its band, where she played the French horn. In 1948, the year before her graduation, she married her "Forever Sweetheart," Orley Edward Stewart in Kentucky. After nearly 17 years of marriage, the Stewart family moved west to Arizona. It was while living in Arizona, her family was completed, as she and Eddie welcomed the birth of their 5th child. Not only was Mary Jo a devoted wife to her husband, she was a loving and fun mother to her children. She did work a while for Motorola in Phoenix and also ran a little private daycare out of her home. Whatever the task, she completed it faithfully, completely and with a smile.

Mary Jo will also be remembered for her spunk. She loved to have a good time and always made "family time" fun! She will long be remembered for playing hide and seek with her family atop her ATV in the forest in the dark...turning off the lights when her family's other ATVs came a looking for her. She, too, was one who loved good card and dice games as well as solving puzzles. Mary Jo was one to never be idle and enjoyed making handicrafts with her hands. She enjoyed doing beadwork and crocheting throughout her life and her family will forever cherish those things she has made for them. While living in Show Low, Mary Jo and Eddie took painting lessons and made a couple of beautiful masterpieces that will be part of her family's treasures. She loved living amongst the beauty of the White Mountains. The forest was her backyard and she always enjoyed a peaceful walk with family in the woods, exploring whatever piqued her interest. She had an extensive collection of rocks that she accumulated through the years. When the Rodeo-Chediski ravaged the White Mountain region, it wiped out a lot of her playground. Still, she was able to see and appreciate other beauty in God's creations. She was greatly loved by many and will be missed a lot.

Mary Jo is survived by 4 of her children: Larry (Carla) Stewart of Scottsdale, Arizona, Tom Stewart of Show Low, Arizona, Judy (Frank) Bussemeier of Wilsonville, Oregon, Angela (Corey) Pruitt of Phoenix, Arizona; 2 sisters: Audrey Metzger of Kenton, Ohio, Carolyn Smith of Bell Center, Ohio; 11 grandchildren: Amanda Stewart, Brandon Bussemeier, Whitney Matecki, Zach Artymonow, Riley Artymonow, Aiden Pruitt, Adyson Pruitt, Lyndsay Dicamillo, Kevin Reading, Kade Reading, Hayden Amos; 4 great-grandchildren: Paxton Matecki, Tristen Melendez, Bella Dicamillo and Sophia Dicamillo. Along with her parents she was preceded in death by her adoring husband, Eddie in 2009 and by a cherished daughter, Sheryl Lynn Stewart in 2007.

A memorial and graveside service will be held at a later date at Green Acres Cemetery in Scottsdale, Arizona.