John Stedman Stewart

Dr. John Stedman Stewart, 77, passed away on November 2, 2024 in Lake Charles, Louisiana after a brief physical and mental decline from dementia. He was the son of the late Walter Eugene Stewart and Carrie Estelle Kelly Stewart of Carthage, North Carolina.

John was born on February 24, 1947 in Pinehurst, NC and grew up in nearby Carthage. He spoke frequently and fondly of his childhood in Carthage and the good times he had with friends there while growing up. He was in the first graduating class from Union Pines High School in 1965 and went on to earn his B.S. in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1972 in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University. 

John owned and operated his own engineering consulting company for 40 years and also formed two other companies engaged in research and development of some of the products that he invented. His work focused on engineering controls to reduce and eliminate the harmful noise and vibrations that plagued both industrial and residential settings, ranging from home woodworking tools to commercial sawmills and nuclear power stations. He was renowned worldwide for his work in this area and held several patents for his inventions related to noise and vibration reduction that have doubtlessly impacted many lives for the better. Many of these inventions simultaneously improved product quality; at one time most of the Corian countertops in the world were finished using a cutting tool that John invented. 

John was also a faculty member at North Carolina State University for over 20 years, during which time he had the pleasure of serving as a mentor to many graduate students who went on to have successful careers, which was a great source of pride for him. He published articles in a number of prestigious academic journals, which he presented at conferences around the globe. His research endeavors at North Carolina State University included founding the USDA-funded Wood Machining and Tooling Research Program, which was recognized in a feature article in the U.S. News and World Report in 1994. In 2017, John was inducted into the North Carolina State University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Hall of Fame. 

John was known for his zany, fun-loving personality and for living life to the fullest. He was a devoted husband to his loving (and extremely patient) wife, Susan, and father to his three cherished daughters, Jessie, Annie, and Allie, whom he loved to make laugh with his crazy antics. He enjoyed traveling, especially with his daughters, visiting many countries around the world and making frequent visits to colleagues and friends in Germany and Sweden. John was a huge fan of the North Carolina State Wolfpack and loved attending “Pack” football and basketball games with his daughters (Jessie and Allie are North Carolina State University alumnae and devout fans) and friends in Raleigh. He also enjoyed playing golf (especially at Pinehurst), spending time at Wrightsville and Topsail Beaches, eating cheese, hanging out with his prized ‘46 Ford, having beers with old friends, and tinkering with numerous and varied projects. John was an animal lover, and he and his wife, Susan, accumulated an impressive menagerie at their beloved farm in Climax, North Carolina over the years, including dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, horses, cows, miniature horses, and ducks. He was particularly fond of his dogs Brownie (who regularly went to school with him as a child), Leroy (the stray who stole John’s heart), Ziggy, and Esther, his cat, Richard, and his donkey, Violet. 

John is survived by his wife of 42 years, Susan Sarah Garrett Stewart of Climax, North Carolina, daughters, Dr. Jessica Kelly Stewart (Amish Shah) of Santa Monica, California, Andrea Ruth Stewart Jones of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Dr. Allison Garrett Stewart Mulligan (Justin) of Sulphur, Louisiana, grandchildren, Sarah Estelle Mulligan and Garrett Scott Mulligan, horse, Sassy Stewart, and dogs, Janet, Russell, and Esther Stewart. 

John’s funeral service will be held at the Carthage United Methodist Church in Carthage, North Carolina on Sunday, November 17 at 1:00 pm Eastern time. A graveside service will follow at the Cross Hill Cemetery in Carthage, where John will be laid to rest alongside many generations of Stewarts. Immediately afterwards, the family will be gathering at one of John’s favorite watering holes, The Tater Barn in Pinehurst, North Carolina, to share memories, laughs, and Budweisers in John’s memory and invite friends and family to join them. 

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Sage Oak of Lake Charles - Assisted Living and Memory Care and Amedisys Hospice for their loving care.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in John’s name can be made to the following scholarship he established in honor of Frank Hart, his mentor and friend: The Dr. Franklin D. Hart Scholarship Endowment Fund at North Carolina State University (Checks payable to: NC State Natural Resources Foundation; Memo: Dr. Franklin D. Hart Scholarship Endowment; Address: NC State College Of Natural Resources, Campus Box 8010, Raleigh, NC 27695, or online at https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1209/give19/form.aspx?sid=1209&gid=214&pgid=7348&cid=11690&appealcode=EJHUDSPE24A&bledit=1&sort=1&dids=4691), or to the Boys and Girls Club of North Carolina at https://www.ncclubs.org/donate.