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In Memory

Denny Stewart

Denny Stewart

        

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Dennis (Denny) Allen Stewart Dec 5, 1949 - Nov 20, 2019 

Denny passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, on November 20th with his family by his side. He was 69. He was born in Bakersfield to George and Frances Stewart and graduated from South High in Bakersfield, Bakersfield College and San Jose State University.

He often told stories and reminisced about growing up in Bakersfield. Some of his favorite stories involved cruising Chester Avenue, the Plunge, Beale Park, Sunday drives, and waterskiing at Bass Lake. Denny moved to San Jose to attend college and lived and worked there until 1976. After experiencing a major life event, Denny decided to move to South Lake Tahoe and recuperate from his injuries

That move solidified his love affair with Tahoe, where he lived until his passing. His career was spent in the social services field helping others. He worked as a Probation Officer for El Dorado County, a Drug, Alcohol, and Family Counselor at Tahoe Human Services, and a Social Worker for Koinonia Foster Homes.

He embodied love and compassion and was a special person with a unique sense of humor who could connect with people in just a few moments, even in his final hours of life.

Denny was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing, camping, woodcutting, backpacking, and gardening. He passed these loves onto others and particularly his two children. Camping on Ebbetts Pass with his family and friends was a summer ritual. He treasured his many backpacking trips to Huckleberry Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness and spoke fondly of his hunting trips to Butte Valley where flocks of migrating birds darkened the skies. 

He cherished the lifelong friendships he maintained with a core group of friends from his years in Bakersfield and San Jose.

He is survived by his wife Penny, son Nick (Diana), daughter Kelsie, sister Patty Mussen, sister-in-law Debbie Buck, nieces Christine (Don) Anderson, Jennifer Buck and Stephanie Buck, numerous cousins, and many friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother-in-laws, and numerous family members.

The family would like to thank the staff involved with his care at Barton Health and UCDavis’ Interstitial Lung Disease program.

 

A memorial service to celebrate and remember Denny will be held on Saturday, December 14th at 1pm at Sierra Community Church in South Lake Tahoe.

 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation or Koinonia Family Services.

 

 
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12/06/19 12:12 PM #1    

James Reynolds

Denny lived in my "neighborhood" in the California Sierras, less than a hundred miles away.

It is great to read that he enjoyed our beautiful environment to the fullest!  His hiking exploits are quite impressive.

It also appears that he was a person who truly enjoyed helping others.


12/07/19 08:19 AM #2    

Vickie Burke (Schallock)

Rest In Peace, Denny.


12/07/19 11:12 AM #3    

Brenda Edwards (Hackney)

I am so sorry to hear about Denny's passing. Rest In Peace, Denny

12/16/19 10:14 AM #4    

Dennis Brothers

Sorry to hear of denny's passing. We hung out a lot together as kids seeing how he lived down the street from me. But it sounds as though he lived a good life. Praise God for that. I will see him again.

02/01/20 12:08 AM #5    

James Reynolds

Denny Stewart's Memorial Service -- December 14, 2019

As you know, Vicki and I attended Denny's service in South Lake Tahoe.  We needed to go down to Orange County and this side trip fit into our plans.  We live "just over the hill" in Nevada City.  It was more than a worthwhile excursion for us.

We had no idea what to expect.  We were greatly surprised by what we encountered in Tahoe.

The service was held at the Sierra Community Church, a modest place of worship in the west end of this town.  Mostly just single story houses within the vicinity of this little church.

Would there be just a few relatives and close friends in attendance?  Should I be prepared to say a few words if the opportunity presented itself?  We had no idea.

Here is the sign outside of the church:

By the time we arrived, about 15 minutes before the event, the church parking lots were full and nearby parking on the street was filling up.  There was a line of about 20 deep entering the building, as people paused to sign the guest book.

Once inside the church we were at the sign-in table that also had a few photos and flowers displayed.

 

 

 

 

We sat down towards the back and watched as the place filled up.  There were eventually over 200 people attending the service.  They had to get more chairs.

Throughout the service the mood was upbeat and the people came from many areas of Denny's life.  There were several from Bakersfield, mostly friends from the class of '70, which I believe is when his sister, Patty Mussen, graduated.

But he had lived for many decades in the Lake Tahoe area so most of the attendees were long time friends from the local area.

We were not prepared for the outpouring of emotion and true love from family, friends, neighbors, business associates, and fellow church members.  It was a wonderful tribute.

It turns out that Denny, unknown to me, was a person that always made others laugh.  He was a chronic prankster and jokester.  This was a theme that returned again and again as speakers came up, one after another, to say their last words about Denny Stewart.  His wife, Penny, was the first speaker and she was eloquent, poised, and grateful for everybody's presence at this event. She was just all around terrific.  I spoke with her briefly after the service was over, just to let her know that we were there to share this moving experience.

As you might expect, there were tearful moments, much laughter, and equally solemn parts of the well organized presentation.  Everything was done in perfect taste and with great respect for this obviously loved individual.  The organizers wanted to do this right and they absolutely succeeded.  It was an unforgettable experience for both of us.  We felt honored to be part of the celebration of a life well lived.  

It was clear that Denny loved to help people and always looked out for those, especially youngsters, who were moving in the wrong direction in life.  His work with foster children apparently paid off many times in fixing otherwise broken young lives.  He was a mentor to many.

What else?  He loved to hunt and fish, chopped a lot wood, hiked all over the beautiful country where he lived, and liked to ride off-road motorcycles. He took full advantage of the Lake Tahoe area and all its incredible beauty. When it came to bird hunting, he was not very mindful of no trespassing signs.

For Vicki and I, the trip to South Lake Tahoe was a surprising and extremely rewarding personal experience.  We'll leave you with a few more photos.

Here's the pamphlet or "program".  On the cover you see Denny proudly smiling on the day he shot a deer in early November, 2019.  He passed away on Nov 20.  He died of a chronic lung condition.

 

As you can see, there were many speakers at this event.  All were well prepared and effective.  The videos were outstanding.

 

Nice prayer from his childhood prayer book, which he referred to throughout his entire life.

 

As we were leaving Tahoe we snapped a few pictures of the land that Denny Stewart loved so much. 

Thanks for viewing.  We'll include this on his In Memory page in the future.

 


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