R. Craig Stewart

Dear family and friends,

For those of you who don’t know me, here’s your chance to get to know me. For those of you who do know me, enjoy my greatest hits.

By the way, if you’re reading this, I am dead.

I, Ronald Craig Stewart, was “born of goodly parents.” I came to Floyd Stewart and LaRae Thorpe, on June 4, 1953, in Payson, Utah. My siblings Patricia and David were older, and Carolyn came next.

A tease and a prankster, I would tie a string around a grasshopper and tie the other end to Carolyn’s cat just to watch the cat jump and squirm.

Growing up in Springville, Utah, I learned to love flowers at my family’s floral business. Once, I skipped school to deliver flowers, only to come up to a stoplight and find my dad driving the other delivery van!

I was a high-school athlete, playing both football and basketball. On more than one occasion, I sneaked into the high school gym on Sunday to get some more time playing basketball with my friends.

I attended college at Weber State University. My grandpa wanted to help pay my tuition, but I was too stubborn to let him.

After my first job at the floral business, I worked for the Clyde Companies as a heavy equipment operator. I worked at the Geneva Rock quarries and on the cleanup after the landslide in Thistle, UT, in 1983. I also served as a volunteer firefighter with the Springville City Fire and Rescue Department.

My greatest obsession in my life was my wife. With my true love near me, I was at ultimate peace. JoAnn is the center of all I lived for. My love for her is indescribable. I could barley stand it when she’d go out of town without me. I would never leave her side if it were possible. The only way I’d let Ginger drive in L.A. was to offer that we sit in the back seat so I could neck with her Mom.

JoAnn and I enjoyed endless water fights, which started with her dumping two-liters on me in the car while stuck in traffic between Las Vegas and L.A. on a hot summer day, and continued with sneaky shower-water temperature adjustments…

I loved family vacations. JoAnn and I traveled all over the world together, and my favorite adventure was doing genealogy work in the United Kingdom.

Don’t challenge me on politics or customer service. As my children and grandchildren can attest, nothing got me fired up faster than a good political argument or customer service S.N.A.F.U.

I loved to play board games and card games. The family spent countless evenings together sharing laughter and games and, yes, endless teasing over a dining-room table full of cards or dominoes.

On March 5, 2020, I departed from this earth life. I leave behind my wife JoAnn, my children (Bronson, Amanda, Brittani, Jacob, Ingrid, Zach, Jessika, Ginger, and Candace), and my numerous grandchildren. I’d like to see you try to host the whole clan for Thanksgiving.

To my family: it’s up to you now. Take care of each other. I’ll be watching.

Service details:

Calling hours: 6:00-8:00 pm Friday, March 6, Wheeler Mortuary 211 E. 200 S., Springville, Utah

Calling hour: 12:30-1:30 pm Saturday, March 7, LDS Church 245 S. 600 E. Springville, Utah

Funeral service: 2:00 pm Saturday, March 7, LDS Church 245 S. 600 E. Springville, Utah

Graveside service to follow