IN LOVING MEMORY....
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DAD
ALLAN LESTER STEWART
06-09-1931 to 12-03-2020
Eulogy
Our Dad, Allan
Lester Stewart was born in Biggenden on 6th September 1931.
He was one of seven children and the fifth son of Percival and Baden Maud Stewart. He had four older brothers Clarence, Colin, Oliver and Keith (all deceased) and a younger brother John (also deceased) and also his one and only sister Joan.
He was one of seven children and the fifth son of Percival and Baden Maud Stewart. He had four older brothers Clarence, Colin, Oliver and Keith (all deceased) and a younger brother John (also deceased) and also his one and only sister Joan.
Allan’s younger years
were spent on a dairy farm about 4 miles out of town where he attended Biggenden
State School.
He moved to
Bundaberg at the age of 14 and boarded with a Christian family so that he could
further is education by attending Bundaberg State High School, where he graduated
in Grade 10. At High School he took a
professional course which included Latin, French etc with the view to becoming
a Chemist.
Once he finished
school there were no opportunities to pursue this career path so he did his
trade as a pattern maker at “The Bundaberg Foundry”. Allan had to start all
over again and learn things like Trade Drawing, Woodwork, Metal Work (none of
which he had done at school)
After finishing
his trade, Allan transferred to “Walker’s Ltd” in Maryborough as a pattern
maker. Over the next three years, he
built his own home from the ground up at 4 Bashford Street, Maryborough. The home is still occupied today. He cut trees from the bush to use for stumps,
built a brick base, and the kitchen and bedroom furniture were all made by him
in a friend’s shed.
This exercise of
building his own home and getting things done was foundational in promoting
future business success.
He married
Margaret Elizabeth in 1955 and they moved into their new home for a
period of only about nine months when he was offered his Father’s one truck
carrying business for 2000 pounds because his Dad wanted to retire in January
of the following year.
After much prayer about even
relocating to Bundaberg – a scripture verse stood out to them. “Promotion comes
neither from the East, the West nor the South” Psalm 75 v 6. (KJV) The very
next verse read, “The Lord puts down one and sets up another”… Psalm 75 v
7. They had been praying about going
North so they took this as a sign to accept his father’s offer and purchased
the carrying business.
In May proceeding January of 1957, they
decided to move back early to Bundaberg and Allan cut sugar cane for a few
months to toughen up for the carrying business which he would take over in the
new year…
In January 1957 he started his own
carrying business delivering loads of groceries from rail to the shops in the
morning, and the afternoons were spent delivering between 40 to 80 deliveries
of groceries to people’s doors. The
toughest part of this job was shifting the 40 ton of 220lb(100kgs) bags of milo
(grain) from the train to the then Mayor of Bundaberg’s shed and stack them by
sheer brute force 10 bags high. This all
had to be done by lunch time so that the groceries could still be delivered in
the afternoon.
1957 also saw the arrival of their
first child and daughter, Karen Leigh. (little did she know that I had my
eye on her at the age of 11 months – being born in Jan ‘57)
Over the next few years the carrying
business was built up to six trucks and their second daughter, Judith Lyn
arrived in 1961.
Around this time, he also took on the
Chesney caravan franchise. By now Allan’s
leading hand took over the running of the carrying business whilst he concentrated
on the sale of caravans.
During this time, their third daughter,
Leanne Margaret arrived in 1963, thus completing their family.
It was also around this time that Allan
was offered the Mazda Car Franchise.
From a standing start only, using a caravan yard, he sold 153 Mazda
Sedans and 251 used cars in the first 12 months.
His success in selling these cars led to representatives of General Motors approaching him to take on the 40% share of the GMH market in Bundaberg as there was already a 60% market share established dealership in town which publicly declared that he would run Allan out of business within six months.
Allan became the
60% dealer and within 2½ years he had taken over the other dealership to become
the only General Motors Dealership in Bundaberg.
The Property on
the north side extended to a three-street frontage with Caravans and Used Cars
in Perry Street, a New Car Showroom in Queen Street, and the workshop was then
built in Gavin Street which assisted in keeping the business together.
In 1968 an
opportunity was given to several Australian dealers to attend the top exclusive
General Management and Marketing Centre in Detroit in America. He was one of only 40 dealers in the world to
attend.
The condition for
attending this Centre was that you had to be a GM Dealer for 5 years. At this stage he had only been a dealer for 2
years but his track record of sales had the Australian Managing Director of GM
ringing him and offering him the opportunity to go if he wanted to…
This was a
dramatic inspiration in management direction and world comprehension of the
Motor Industry. This visit gave him the
opportunity to visit a car manufacturing plant which employed 48,000 staff
compared to Bundaberg’s total population of 45,000 at the time. Another highlight to him was his visit to the
GM technical centre employing 2,200 scientists most of whom had PHDs and were
involved in planning the next 50-60 years of future world expansion of
technology. He had the privilege of
touching the rocket that had taken the first man who walked on the moon. During
this visit he witnessed the very cars that are now being introduced to the
world some 60 years later.
He spent 45 days at the GM Marketing and Management school, and many of the things he learnt here not only reaffirmed that he was on the right track with his own dealership back home, but it also gave him even further visionary skills to bring to his business back home.
He spent 45 days at the GM Marketing and Management school, and many of the things he learnt here not only reaffirmed that he was on the right track with his own dealership back home, but it also gave him even further visionary skills to bring to his business back home.
By the early 70’s
he had outgrown his North side business premises and Allan bought some 20 acres
of land next to the Bundaberg Cemetery, and had decided to relocate his motor
dealership to this land on the outskirts of town.
Many people
thought this would be a disaster for his business, but he built a new world
class dealership on 6 acres of the land.
The official opening of the dealership attracted over 8000 people where
he also gave away free ice-creams and soft drinks to the children. (which resulted in the town selling out of
both ice-creams and soft drink). This
was done to show his appreciation to the people of Bundaberg for their
incredible support.
Allan’s
dealership was one of the most advanced dealerships in Australia. It was one of the first businesses to embrace
technology by becoming computerised.
This bought dealers from all over Australia and New Zealand to inspect
and learn these latest dealership technology advancements. (Back in those days, this computer was huge
and took up a whole air conditioned room and cost over $140,000, and it also
created a full time job for one of his key staff to manage – so different to
technology and computers today.)
Over the next
decade, the business grew to where it employed 136 staff with the expansion of
more franchises being included, such as Mitsubishi, Volvo, Mercedes Benz and
boats.
It was also
around this time that Allan starting developing property, firstly in Bundaberg
where he developed the subdivision Glen Forest in South Bundaberg and Kingswood
Forest out along the main highway leading into Bundaberg. He later was involved in developing the Glen
Eden Resort of 40 townhouses at Perrigian Beach on the Sunshine Coast, along
with Coolum Caprice, a 14-story high-rise on the beach front at Coolum.
Whilst Allan never claimed to be an evangelist, he realized some days later, whilst in the depths of the Benin Jungle ("Beneen"), giving out bibles to students up to 5 times a day with some of the schools having up to 10,000 students, in a place where westerners would rarely go. He realised the impact that those teacher's, who had given their hearts to the Lord, were going to have as future evangelists in leading many of their students to the Lord.
One of the other huge impacts on Allan's life was the absolute hunger that many students had for the word of God. Their hunger was so intense that teachers had to restrain students with batons to stop them breaking rank to receive a new testament mainly because of their fear of missing out on receiving their own copy.
One of the other huge impacts on Allan's life was the absolute hunger that many students had for the word of God. Their hunger was so intense that teachers had to restrain students with batons to stop them breaking rank to receive a new testament mainly because of their fear of missing out on receiving their own copy.
Whilst in Bundaberg, Allan was a member of the Bundaberg and District Development Board and by 1982 he was the longest serving member. (A record he holds even to this day). He was voted into this position every two years by the business and professional members of Bundaberg. During this time,he was also an active member o many other organisations such as the Patron of the Pensioners of Bundaberg, Red Shield Advisory Committee and also as an advisor o the Bundaberg TAFE College.
Over the years, there had been many petitions from public and prominent people in the city for Allan to enter Local Government. His response was always that he was too busy, not only in his businesses but also in public service around town.
Mum and Dad often read Proverbs or Psalms in their daily family devotions each morning and on this particular morning, the had been discussing whether Dad should consider standing for the council. Early this particular morning Dad had told our Mum that he definitely would not be standing as he was too busy to be on the council.
It just so happened that the devotional reading for the morning (an hour later) was Proverbs 31. They usually read from the Living Bible and verse 23 read.
"And her husband who was well known, will sit on the town council with the other civic leaders".
Mum's response to Dad was "What decision were you going to make today"???
This reading was to change the course of their lives...
This calling to serve on the council was definitely seen by them as God's calling. At this election there were 19 nominations to stand for only 8 positions on Council and Allan was number 16 on the list. With barely a month before the elections, and very little advertising, and no "how to vote" handout cards, he was shocked when the election concluded with an all-time record number of votes in the history of the city. This then made him the Deputy Mayor in his first term of council. Half way through his first term, he became Mayor and during his two terms of office he successfully completed the aspirations he had for the city including building the Northside Botanical Gardens and the terminal at the Bundaberg Airport. It was during his time as Mayor the Council purchased the Crest Cinema and turned it into an 800-seat performing Arts Centre known as Moncrieff Theatre. Land for a new Library was purchased and the City Council Chambers were upgraded which included introducing computers to operate the council affairs, as well as securing government grants for many other infrastructures around town.
Allan also introduced a Council Chaplin to open each council meeting with prayer and a bible reading, and as far as I know it is still something that is still operating today.
During this time, Allan also became the Chairman of the Wide Bay Burnett Electricty Board where he was responsible for a staff of 439 people.
At the end of his second term, having completed all that he had set out to achieve, Allan did not again stand for Council. Around this time there was an Australian wide financial crash (1987), that significantly altered their circumstances. This cost them everything materially that they owned including their beautiful home. During this traumatic time, their true integrity and character were displayed.
As Dad retired from the Council and disposed of his business interests, they entered a new phase in their lives by moving to the Sunshine Coast (1988). When most people at 57 begin to unwind, Allan was busy amping-up-the-anti and was looking for ways to get back on his feet financially. With little money and a lot o support from one ANZ bank manager on the coast, who gave him sufficient funds to plan and build a new home at Mountain Creek. Allan then entered a semi-retired phase of his life which saw him build 26 new homes over the next few years which enabled him to pay back all his outstanding loans so that they were debt free.
Moving to the coast also allowed them to finally enjoy some quality time together, be more involved in serving in the churches they were involved in, firstly at Caloundra Baptist Church and then at Lifepointe Baptist Church Buderim and offering hospitality and encouragement to the folk who dropped in to have a cuppa with them. It also allowed them to spend more time with family and their 13 grandchildren.
The passing of his beautiful wife, Margaret, 8 years ago (03.03.2012) was a devastating time for Allan as he loved her dearly and couldn't imagine life without her. It took some time for him to find his smile again but when he did he was determined not to dwell on his sadness by going out and bringing some kindness and love to others...
Visiting McDonald's just down the road at Minyama became his daily ritual, where he enjoyed a coffee, a read of the paper, a chat with strangers where he would often hand out Gideon personal workers testaments.
However, before long a new form of encouragement for others came in the form of the "UR Loved" cards... this became Dad's purpose, to let as many people know that they were loved.
As the years passed Allan continued to serve and give whenever he could. He was perhaps the most generous soul we have known and this time, instead of out of his abundance, he gave from the little he had. He had known great wealth and it's fleeting security and knew it's losses. He gave away most of his possessions before he passed yet he was the richest man we knew....
In the end years of his life, he lived his life with an urgent desire to let others now of the love of the God in whom he had put his trust and he left this world letting us all know just how loved we all were. He lived a life of no regrets......
Lea's Memories of her Father - Allan Lester Stewart
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| Lea Hunter |
Well after hearing Steve talking about my Dad's life, I've heard so many stories over the last years that I'm exhausted so I can understand now why he said "I'm ready to go Lea, I'm ready to go". He told me when I used to catch up with my Dad and Mum before Mum passed away, and then every Tuesdays and Thursdays, we'd do coffee on Tuesdays and a movie on Thursdays and towards the end he would often be saying "Lea, I've beaten my father in age, I've beaten my brothers, you know I'm ready to go now, I've lived a good life." I'd often said "Dad, I can see another good five years in you yet." And he would say "No, I'll be gone before Christmas" and I was kind of expecting it and was prepared for it but I think he caught me out this time. So "Well played Dad, well played."
He was a man that we admired greatly, we argued with, we discussed all sorts of things. We had differences in all sorts of opinions but the one thing we've all learnt with myself and my sisters and our husbands was generosity and kindness. He was, from the moment I can remember when I was young, he was a people's person. He would say "Lea, we're not in the business of selling, we are not in the business of retail, we're in the people business, and that was demonstrated all the time. When you were driving in the car his hand would be like this (waving) nearly everytime you drove past another car. He would know people, friends from school would say your Dad waved to me today, so he just had this love for people, and that's something when you are thinking of a legacy or what you will take after your parents are gone. Great legacies.... friendliness..... compassion..... empathy....
He was a man that we admired greatly, we argued with, we discussed all sorts of things. We had differences in all sorts of opinions but the one thing we've all learnt with myself and my sisters and our husbands was generosity and kindness. He was, from the moment I can remember when I was young, he was a people's person. He would say "Lea, we're not in the business of selling, we are not in the business of retail, we're in the people business, and that was demonstrated all the time. When you were driving in the car his hand would be like this (waving) nearly everytime you drove past another car. He would know people, friends from school would say your Dad waved to me today, so he just had this love for people, and that's something when you are thinking of a legacy or what you will take after your parents are gone. Great legacies.... friendliness..... compassion..... empathy....
You know when we used to catch up for coffees, he’d like a
good banter, you know we had differences in politics and differences in opinions
on lots of things and we would have some great debates about it but at the end
he would just love the fervour of it, he’d always enjoy a good battle and I
will miss that, I will truly miss those times.
My sister Jude and her husband John and her family were here for years
and enjoyed his and Mum’s company with their children and then when it was
their time to move away I stepped up and got to spend a lot more time with my
Mum and Dad.
One of the great memories that I will remember was kind of a
funny note which Steve was mentioning that Dad used to give away his Gideon
bibles, but he also found these little cards of “You are Loved” and as you’ve
probably understood from listening to Steve’s talk, he was fervent, whenever he
found something that was great, he was a visionary, he would go for it, and so
he was quite eager and kind of obsessive and I’d go and visit him at McDonalds
and he would be calling out and going over and I was a bit embarrassed and
would say “Dad, tone it down, you’re in a business and so I would kind of
chastise him a little bit and say it’s OK if someone is next to you but don’t
go out of your way , so I kind of felt I needed to say that and it was kind of
funny because after I had that little talk one of my dear friends who is here today,
Katrina, had seen a facebook message just randomly and it was, you will see it
on photos when the photos come up, and it was a woman that put up a message
that talked about how she had had a hard morning and she had come to McDonalds
to have a breather and she said this dear old gentleman came up and gave me a
“You are Loved” card and she said “I was so touched by that, that it made my
day” and she just raved about my Dad doing things like that.
My friend again sent me another one of a photo of my Dad which a child on his knee and this mother was saying this beautiful old gentleman came and gave my daughters $10 to share. He was the kindest man and I hope when you see him you will give him love back and after I saw those things I never said another word about handing out the cards.
My friend again sent me another one of a photo of my Dad which a child on his knee and this mother was saying this beautiful old gentleman came and gave my daughters $10 to share. He was the kindest man and I hope when you see him you will give him love back and after I saw those things I never said another word about handing out the cards.
He was a man that we will deeply miss, we loved him, I think
that when Steve was mentioning that he read Proverbs to us every morning and I
do believe he mentioned a lot about the times the ones where woman do not nag
your husbands, seemed to focus on a lot of those ones, I’m not sure whether
that had any affect on us, you would have to ask our husbands, but he was a
Proverbs man and we all have learnt heaps from things like that but I remember
when you hear things and you hear, he used to have a saying, “If you can
conceive it and believe it you can achieve it” so we would have lots of quotes
like that which are all very nice when the going is good, they are easy to roll
off your tongue when you are prospering and doing well, and he taught us that
and he taught us those lessons but he actually lived the example when he did go
through the hard times and he did loose everything, not just his possessions,
his position, part of his identity because that who in his generation what he
was and what he had achieved, so it was incredibly teaching for us to see him
live out what he had told us all of his life, so Dad we are here to honour you
we love you and we love the family that has been able to come.
Jude's Memories of her Father - Allan Lester Stewart
 |
| Judy McCracken |
My sisters and I were asked if we could share some memories of our father and I really don't know where to start. There are just so many to share in the the short amount of time we have to convey just how amazing he was as first, a loving husband to my mother, an amazing father to his daughters and son-in-laws, a wonderful grandfather to his grandchildren and great grandchildren, a passionate man of God, as astute and progressive businessman and a generous and loyal friend.
There are so many things I could say about our father but then where would I stop....
Athletics:
One of my best memories of my father was through my teenage years when I was involved in the Bundaberg Amateur Athletic Club. We would go to the club every Saturday afternoon in the athletic season to compete against other athletes. My Dad would always take time out of his busy schedule to take me. He had a stopwatch with a red ribbon which he kept and just recently was found by my daughter and niece in a cupboard in his home office. Amazingly it still works too after all those years.
Well he would take this stopwatch and stand with the other official time keepers and would time all my races while yelling out his encouragement for me.
He did this for years and this became our special time together and it has meant so much to me. Even at his busiest he always made time for his family and to build strong relationships with each of us.
Family:
We did so many family things together and two of the best were when he and Mum took us on a six week world tour where I celebrated my 13th Birthday in Scotland. We visited so many countries in such a short time. It was a great adventure.
The second lot of holidays I remember only happened in the last three weeks of every Christmas holidays when we would camp in a caravan down at Bargara Caravan Park. Dad would relax in the annex and watch the cricket, and yes he loved his cricket. We would have so much fun and for a couple of years he even bought our mini motorbikes down to the beach for us to ride around the caravan park. We spent our days on the beach and our nights at the outdoor skating rink.
Breakfast Together:
Dad always made sure that we all had breakfast together as a family where he would read a daily Bible passage to us, usually from Psalms or Proverbs. I was sure he was purposely picking them out for me, but later found out that he was reading them in order. Dad showed us how important it was to start our day giving thanks to God for all that he has provided for us.
Adulthood:
As we grew into adulthood, married and started families of our own, Dad continued to build great relationships with his grandchildren and great grandchildren and they all loved him dearly...
My Father:
My Father lived his life as an example to us all. His love and passion for his Lord and sharing his faith with all that knew him, his integrity, loyalty, generosity and abiding faith, his kindness and great love are a legacy he has passed on to his next generations... I just pray that we don't waste and squander this legacy but that we will follow in his footsteps and make him proud.
My father loved deeply with his heart, always wanting noting but the best for everyone that he met.
Hospital:
Probably my last most memorable memory of Dad was in his last days here on earth while he was in the hospital. All of our families rushed to spend time with him, to tell him how deeply he was loved and how special he was to each of them.
While we were with Dad whenever the Doctors and Nursing Staff came in to attend to him, he would share his faith with them. He would tell them that he just wanted to go Home to see his Lord, and as he would say, "My Margaret". He never failed to live out his faith in front of these people. He was so calm and at peace with his imminent passing. He wasn't afraid as he had such a wonderful hope in where he was going. The surgeons and palliative care doctors were amazed at his incredible faith and spent time just talking to him.
Dad declined the surgery that they offered and asked not to be resuscitated but to be allowed to go peacefully. He was ready to go and he told them he had lived and incredible and adventurous life, but he was 88 and a half and he was tired and it was his time to go. Dad had an incredible testimony right up until the end. The Doctors came over and shook his hand, you could see how he affected them by what he said to them.
The nursing staff were the same. They said to us Your father must be a good man". We do not see this many people coming to spend time with a loved one like you all have. "He really must be a good man". He was an exceptional man".
About an hour before he passed into eternity the young student nurse asked if she could pray with Dad, as she knew he was a Christian and she was also. It was a great privilege to have her do this and it was only a short while later that my wonderful, loving, incredible father left this place for somewhere more beautiful.
2 Timothy 4:7 sums it all up when I think of my Father....
"He has fought the good fight, he has finished the race, and he has kept the faith."
I will miss my Father so much. He was such a huge part of my life but as I said about my Mother, I can say also about my Father, I am not saying goodbye to my Dad... I am saying "Goodnight" because I know I will see him again in the morning when I finally get to greet him in eternity.
Poem:
Love Lives On....
Those we love remain with us for love itself lives on,
and cherished memories never fade cause a loved ones gone.
Those we love can never be more than a thought apart
For as long as there is memory
They'll live on in our heart....
Goodnight my precious Father.... Until we meet again.
I will always love you.....
There are so many things I could say about our father but then where would I stop....
Athletics:
One of my best memories of my father was through my teenage years when I was involved in the Bundaberg Amateur Athletic Club. We would go to the club every Saturday afternoon in the athletic season to compete against other athletes. My Dad would always take time out of his busy schedule to take me. He had a stopwatch with a red ribbon which he kept and just recently was found by my daughter and niece in a cupboard in his home office. Amazingly it still works too after all those years.
Well he would take this stopwatch and stand with the other official time keepers and would time all my races while yelling out his encouragement for me.
He did this for years and this became our special time together and it has meant so much to me. Even at his busiest he always made time for his family and to build strong relationships with each of us.
Family:
We did so many family things together and two of the best were when he and Mum took us on a six week world tour where I celebrated my 13th Birthday in Scotland. We visited so many countries in such a short time. It was a great adventure.
The second lot of holidays I remember only happened in the last three weeks of every Christmas holidays when we would camp in a caravan down at Bargara Caravan Park. Dad would relax in the annex and watch the cricket, and yes he loved his cricket. We would have so much fun and for a couple of years he even bought our mini motorbikes down to the beach for us to ride around the caravan park. We spent our days on the beach and our nights at the outdoor skating rink.
Breakfast Together:
Dad always made sure that we all had breakfast together as a family where he would read a daily Bible passage to us, usually from Psalms or Proverbs. I was sure he was purposely picking them out for me, but later found out that he was reading them in order. Dad showed us how important it was to start our day giving thanks to God for all that he has provided for us.
Adulthood:
As we grew into adulthood, married and started families of our own, Dad continued to build great relationships with his grandchildren and great grandchildren and they all loved him dearly...
My Father:
My Father lived his life as an example to us all. His love and passion for his Lord and sharing his faith with all that knew him, his integrity, loyalty, generosity and abiding faith, his kindness and great love are a legacy he has passed on to his next generations... I just pray that we don't waste and squander this legacy but that we will follow in his footsteps and make him proud.
My father loved deeply with his heart, always wanting noting but the best for everyone that he met.
Hospital:
Probably my last most memorable memory of Dad was in his last days here on earth while he was in the hospital. All of our families rushed to spend time with him, to tell him how deeply he was loved and how special he was to each of them.
While we were with Dad whenever the Doctors and Nursing Staff came in to attend to him, he would share his faith with them. He would tell them that he just wanted to go Home to see his Lord, and as he would say, "My Margaret". He never failed to live out his faith in front of these people. He was so calm and at peace with his imminent passing. He wasn't afraid as he had such a wonderful hope in where he was going. The surgeons and palliative care doctors were amazed at his incredible faith and spent time just talking to him.
Dad declined the surgery that they offered and asked not to be resuscitated but to be allowed to go peacefully. He was ready to go and he told them he had lived and incredible and adventurous life, but he was 88 and a half and he was tired and it was his time to go. Dad had an incredible testimony right up until the end. The Doctors came over and shook his hand, you could see how he affected them by what he said to them.
The nursing staff were the same. They said to us Your father must be a good man". We do not see this many people coming to spend time with a loved one like you all have. "He really must be a good man". He was an exceptional man".
About an hour before he passed into eternity the young student nurse asked if she could pray with Dad, as she knew he was a Christian and she was also. It was a great privilege to have her do this and it was only a short while later that my wonderful, loving, incredible father left this place for somewhere more beautiful.
2 Timothy 4:7 sums it all up when I think of my Father....
"He has fought the good fight, he has finished the race, and he has kept the faith."
I will miss my Father so much. He was such a huge part of my life but as I said about my Mother, I can say also about my Father, I am not saying goodbye to my Dad... I am saying "Goodnight" because I know I will see him again in the morning when I finally get to greet him in eternity.
Poem:
Love Lives On....
Those we love remain with us for love itself lives on,
and cherished memories never fade cause a loved ones gone.
Those we love can never be more than a thought apart
For as long as there is memory
They'll live on in our heart....
Goodnight my precious Father.... Until we meet again.
I will always love you.....
Karen's Memories of her Father - Allan Lester Stewart
 |
| Karen Latham |
As I have taken time out this week to reflect and ponder on
the memories of my beautiful Father, so many memories have come to mind. I struggle to find the words to eloquently express the moments of Dad’s life
that have influenced and affected me in such a deep and lasting way…..
Whilst I have
many fond and personal memories of times spent with Dad, this week I have
reflected on some of the wonderful life lessons that Dad has instilled in not
only me but also into the lives of my family… What an amazing character inheritance
he has left us.
My Dad wasn’t a
perfect man…
He was a visionary which meant he often had strong opinions or views, and I can tell you they often ruffled our feathers and I am sure many of yours also, but even with these, the very heart of these views always came from a heart that had a desire for a better outcome for those he was imparting his views too.
He was a visionary which meant he often had strong opinions or views, and I can tell you they often ruffled our feathers and I am sure many of yours also, but even with these, the very heart of these views always came from a heart that had a desire for a better outcome for those he was imparting his views too.
Dad’s love
language was gift giving…
He was the most generous person I knew. I remember as young child, often dropping into the corner store near where we lived to get a few supplies, he would also walk out with a large cardboard box full of basic groceries to be given to a homeless person laying on a park bench in front of the store. His generosity did not only come from a place where he had plenty, but even at the end of his life where he had little, he would go without himself in order to help others that had a need. If Dad had a regret in life, the only regret would have been that he couldn’t have given more….
He was the most generous person I knew. I remember as young child, often dropping into the corner store near where we lived to get a few supplies, he would also walk out with a large cardboard box full of basic groceries to be given to a homeless person laying on a park bench in front of the store. His generosity did not only come from a place where he had plenty, but even at the end of his life where he had little, he would go without himself in order to help others that had a need. If Dad had a regret in life, the only regret would have been that he couldn’t have given more….
He was an appreciative
person...
His home is still full of the chocolates that he gave to everyone that ever helped him or visited him. Even as family he was always so appreciative of any little thing we did for him, and he never failed to let us know how much he appreciated not only us but all that we did for him as well.
His home is still full of the chocolates that he gave to everyone that ever helped him or visited him. Even as family he was always so appreciative of any little thing we did for him, and he never failed to let us know how much he appreciated not only us but all that we did for him as well.
Dad was a
positive person….
We saw him go through some incredible hardships in his life, but he always managed to put his circumstances in a bigger picture. He had been away to Nigeria and seen what real poverty and despair was and in comparison, he was able to see and appreciate the richness of his life particularly in regards to his relationships. Even towards the end of his life when he was incredibly lonely and ready to go home and be with his Lord and reunite with Mum, his response to us was always “Anyday I wake up alive is a great day”.
We saw him go through some incredible hardships in his life, but he always managed to put his circumstances in a bigger picture. He had been away to Nigeria and seen what real poverty and despair was and in comparison, he was able to see and appreciate the richness of his life particularly in regards to his relationships. Even towards the end of his life when he was incredibly lonely and ready to go home and be with his Lord and reunite with Mum, his response to us was always “Anyday I wake up alive is a great day”.
Dad was a
people’s person…
He loved people, he had an ability to connect with and serve people and we saw evidence of this right throughout his life. I remember a time when he was Mayor getting a phone call around 3am one morning from a pensioner who was distressed because with the heavy rain, they were afraid that the water would flow through their house, and Dad got dressed and went over to be with them and help. He was never happier than to serve on the door at the church here and greet people as they arrived for church.
He loved people, he had an ability to connect with and serve people and we saw evidence of this right throughout his life. I remember a time when he was Mayor getting a phone call around 3am one morning from a pensioner who was distressed because with the heavy rain, they were afraid that the water would flow through their house, and Dad got dressed and went over to be with them and help. He was never happier than to serve on the door at the church here and greet people as they arrived for church.
Dad was a man of
great faith and had a heart for lost souls...
He was way bolder than I have ever been, but he was bold in handing out Personal Workers Testaments, often with money in them when ever he had an opportunity to help someone, often telling them that their real help could be found in the pages of this little testament and would show them the help pages. Even on his last days on this earth, he shared his faith with the palliative care team, as to why he was ready to leave us and meet his Lord.
He was way bolder than I have ever been, but he was bold in handing out Personal Workers Testaments, often with money in them when ever he had an opportunity to help someone, often telling them that their real help could be found in the pages of this little testament and would show them the help pages. Even on his last days on this earth, he shared his faith with the palliative care team, as to why he was ready to leave us and meet his Lord.
My Dad loved
fiercely...
To us his family, he loved us fiercely and was never afraid to let us know just how much he loved us. He always ended every parting with us whether it be when we visited him or the constant phone calls we had with him with the words “I love you” because he always wanted the last words he spoke to us to be words of love….
To us his family, he loved us fiercely and was never afraid to let us know just how much he loved us. He always ended every parting with us whether it be when we visited him or the constant phone calls we had with him with the words “I love you” because he always wanted the last words he spoke to us to be words of love….
And this was the
way he ended his life…. The last two days of his life where spent connecting
with each member of his family, his
sister Joan and us his daughters, his three son-in-laws, his 13 grandchildren,
and his 8 great grandchildren. The last
words we heard from Dad where just how much he deeply loved us.
Dad you may not
of left us a material inheritance but the inheritance you have left us is worth
way more than rubies or gold. Your
inheritance to us is eternal. We are
rich beyond measure. You have left a
Huge gaping hole in our lives but oh how blessed we have been to be your
daughters and to have been loved by you.
We love you Dad…
Memories of her Grandpa; Great Grand Children – Sarah Moore
 |
| Sarah Moore |
Firstly we would like to thank you all for being here today to remember
and pay respect to the life and legacy that Allan Lester Stewart, our
grandfather, left upon this earth. I
once read that the legacy of heroes, is the memory of a great name and the
inheritance of a great example. In Proverbs 13:22, it states that A good man leaves an inheritance to his
children’s children. This morning I
want to tell you about our memories and the inheritance that Allan, our
grandfather left to us, his grandchildren.
Grandpa has left us with an
inheritance of a strong marriage.
It’s impossible to talk about grandpa without talking about grandma, known to most of you as Margaret. Over the years, we have witnessed first-hand their relationship and marriage and can tell you that their relationship bought stability and confidence, inspiring our parent’s marriages, as well as some of our own. One piece of advice he gave us, is to make sure the last thing you say to your husband/wife when you go to bed is ‘I love you’, as we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
It’s impossible to talk about grandpa without talking about grandma, known to most of you as Margaret. Over the years, we have witnessed first-hand their relationship and marriage and can tell you that their relationship bought stability and confidence, inspiring our parent’s marriages, as well as some of our own. One piece of advice he gave us, is to make sure the last thing you say to your husband/wife when you go to bed is ‘I love you’, as we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
It was evident that Grandpa loved and cared for grandma. He served her,
provided for her and spoiled her. I always remember grandpa bringing grandma a
single red rose, kissing her as he handed it to her. He did all of this in
order to build a long, faithful, loving, God-honouring marriage.
Grandpa also left us with an
inheritance of humility and integrity.
Grandpa was never afraid to take a stand for and do the right thing.
When grandpa had to walk away from his business, he took accountability and
responsibility for paying back as much of the company’s debt as possible, even
when it wasn’t solely his responsibility. Even when life was tough and when no one was
watching, he didn’t change, he held himself accountable and did the right
thing.
I’ve heard that people of integrity are gracious. Grandpa was
definitely a gracious man. He always expressed gratitude and recognised others
achievements. To demonstrate his gratitude, he would always be sure to say “Thank
you, or thank you my son” when someone did a favour, helped him or even for just
taking time out of their schedule to see him.
Grandpa’s humility and courtesy towards others has been seen in countless
ways over the years, which brings me to my next point….
Grandpa also left to us an
inheritance of kindness and generosity.
Grandpa was always thinking of and putting others needs before his own, often to his own detriment. I remember this time my mum gave Grandpa Money at Christmas time because she thought he really needed it. Well that day at church, he gave half of it away to a lady in church who was going through some rough times of her own. It was the exact amount she needed.
Grandpa was always thinking of and putting others needs before his own, often to his own detriment. I remember this time my mum gave Grandpa Money at Christmas time because she thought he really needed it. Well that day at church, he gave half of it away to a lady in church who was going through some rough times of her own. It was the exact amount she needed.
But Grandpa wasn’t just generous with his money, he was generous with
his time. Grandpa was a successful businessman when we were growing up and as
you can imagine, would have been very busy. However, when we came to visit, he
would always make some time for us to do something special. He would often take
us on outings to have lunch at sizzlers, and let’s face it; you could serve
yourself huge amounts of ice-cream there, so you can imagine how excited we
were. He would also take us to the movies and often shopping to buy us a
special outfit. This made us feel extremely special and loved.
Another example of his kindness and generosity, which we only
discovered from a recent Facebook post, was when visiting McDonalds at Kawana,
when he gave a women’s child $10 to share with their siblings. I want to read
that post to you now:
"Great guy…gave the kids $10 to
share after we chatted for a while. Was really lovely. One of those moments in
life that reminds you of gratitude and the impact of kindness."
This makes us feel so incredibly proud and blessed! In this fast paced
world we all live in, it is so easy to forget to be generous and offer simple
acts of kindness to people who are not in our direct path. Grandpa was always
thinking of ways he could bless the life of others. The bible teaches us the
importance of Generosity and living a life of that blesses others and not just
the self. No one knew this and lived this out better than our Grandpa.
Grandpa also left us with an
inheritance of a robust faith.
Grandpa’s commitment to God and his faith was not just in his later years, but can be traced all the way back to his formative years. Grandpa is a man of faith and integrity, devoting all aspects of his life in service to God. Grandpa was passionate about spreading God’s love to others. A recent example of this was handing out cards that said ‘You are loved’ to strangers at McDonalds and in the shopping centres. At times I felt socially awkward when he did, but not Grandpa, he was just faithful to God and wanted to share God’s Love with others. It was actually only in the last few days before his passing that I realised what impact it made on people. On a Facebook community group, a post was put up of Grandpa from a women who received one of his “you are loved” cards and it read:
Grandpa’s commitment to God and his faith was not just in his later years, but can be traced all the way back to his formative years. Grandpa is a man of faith and integrity, devoting all aspects of his life in service to God. Grandpa was passionate about spreading God’s love to others. A recent example of this was handing out cards that said ‘You are loved’ to strangers at McDonalds and in the shopping centres. At times I felt socially awkward when he did, but not Grandpa, he was just faithful to God and wanted to share God’s Love with others. It was actually only in the last few days before his passing that I realised what impact it made on people. On a Facebook community group, a post was put up of Grandpa from a women who received one of his “you are loved” cards and it read:
" After a stressful morning as an AIN, I go to
McDonalds in Kawana to chill out and have a cold drink in between the next
client, when this elderly gentleman is handing out all these wonderful cards to
everyone in store. It was so lovely to see this. It made me so happy and brightened
my day. He’s such a sweetheart taking the time out of his day to hand these
out. I watched some ladies turn their noses up at him, but he was just trying
to make this world a better place with his random acts of kindness and for
nothing in return. If you are feeling down please call the number on the card.
It’s a helpline, if you see this wonderful man around, make sure you’re kind
and thank him for his wonderful work."
Grandpa was not afraid of the knock backs and turned up noses, but
continued to be strong and courageous in the work that God called him to do. 1st
Chronicles 28:20, reads:
“David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do
the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with
you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of
the temple of the lord is finished”.
This was Grandpa’s favourite verse. Grandpa was a constant example of a
life lived well and one for the service of the lord: a life lived with
humility, faith, strength, courage and love for family, friends, strangers and
most importantly God. Grandpa’s faith and love for God and his church permeated
every aspect of his life.
We are profoundly thankful to God for our grandpa. The undeniable
influence that he has had on our lives is impossible to quantify and yet we can
say this with certainty, without the relentless love, care, encouragement and
prayers for each of us over the course of our lives, our lives today would be
very different. So thank you Grandpa for saying yes to Jesus. Thank you for
being completely sold out to him. Thank you for being the wise, loving,
courageous and unique man that you are, that businessman with a pastor’s heart.
We love you and we will miss you dearly.
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