Richard Alan Stewart

Richard Alan Stewart, age 71, of Winter Haven, FL, passed away on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Richard (a.k.a. Dick or Stew), was born in Mechanicsburg, PA on August 7, 1952 to Hays and Peg Stewart but grew up in Salem, OH. After graduating high school in 1970, he began working at the local pump manufacturing company, Crane Deming Pumps, and continued his career in that industry until his retirement in 2018. He moved to Winter Haven, FL in the late 1970s to run the warehouse facility for Crane Deming. In 1981, he met his future wife, Karen Kalogridis, and they were married in 1984. In 1991, they welcomed their daughter, Devyn.

Dick was Episcopalian and in the weeks prior to his passing, found a renewed faith. He was an avid golfer and loved any kind of fishing. He also loved Ford Mustangs. He was a diehard fan of the Cleveland Browns and always looked forward to Sunday afternoon football or NASCAR races. He had a passion for food and always got excited to try new recipes on his smoker. In recent years, he spent a lot of time reconnecting with longtime friends, which was so meaningful to him. He enjoyed spending holidays and vacations with his family, whether it was in Ohio, South Carolina, or Nags Head, NC. Since the birth of his grandsons (who knew him as “Peepaw”), his great joy was sharing his passion for “fast cars” with them.

Dick is preceded in death by his parents, Hays and Peg Stewart and his parents-in-law, Tony and Judy Kalogridis. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Karen, his daughter, Devyn Montalvo (Greg), his grandsons, Thomas and Benjamin, and his sisters, Sally Stewart of Ohio, Mindi Steele (Eric) of South Carolina, and his brother, Andy Stewart of Ohio. In addition, he leaves behind many loving nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 2pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 656 Avenue L, NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881. There will be a reception immediately following in the Parish Hall. For those unable to attend, there will also be a live stream on the St. Paul’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/stpaulswinterhaven). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, The Humane Society of Polk County, or the charity of your choosing.