A newspaper article dated November 5, 1975 from page 7 of the paper:
A Chip Off The Old Block
(A memorial service for Mr. Harry O. Stewart will be held Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 pm at St. Anselm's Episcopal Church in Lafayette, CA. The following is a tribute to Mr. Stewart authored by Mr. and Mrs. Bud Spencer, owners of the San Ramon Valley Mill & Lumber Co. which was once owned by Mr. Stewart.)
When word reached us last week that Harry Stewart had finally lost his valiant battle against cancer, we were saddened beyond all comprehension. Harry, you see, played a vital role in our lives.
We met him briefly during World War II, but it wasn't until after the war that we renewed that early friendship. Harry was with the Diamond Match Company and in 1944 purchased San Ramon Valley Mill & Lumber Co. He was having difficulty in finding employees who would work the way he worked and, fortunately for us, he contacted my father in Lodi and iinquired as to my plans after I recieved my discharge from the US Navy. The first bit of civilian business I took care of when I returned from Okinawa was to visit Harry.
I knew little or nothing about the business, but under the patient guidance of Harry I began learning. I started out as a yard man, moved on to truck driver and finally was named manager. My wife Gladys joined the team in 1952 as bookkeeper and until 1965 we worked together sharing in the success and growth of the business.
Having learned from the bottom up, Harry fulfilled a promise made years before - he sold the business to us and we have been carrying on in the Stewart tradition ever since. I guess the best definition of 'tradition' as far as Harry Stewart was concerned was FAIRNESS. He was fair almost to a fault but it was certainly not overlooked by his legion of friends and anmirers. To give you an example of what sort of person he was, let me share an event that will be remembered by the entire Spencer family for as long as we live. Some years ago, we had the misfortune of living in a home that happened to be located in the path of the freeway. With our home condemned, we had no alternative but to move. Our plight was quickly rectified when Harry gave me three years worth of vacation all at once. We utilized the time by building a new home- the one we still enjoy.
The unique appearance of San Ramon Valley Mill & Lumber Co. is due once again to the cooperative spirit of Harry Stewart. A move to create a western atmosphere for the Danville business district failed due to inertia, but Harry saw the benefits of a 'new look' for his town and attempted to set an example for his fellow merchants to follow.
For those of you who never had the priveledge of meeting and knowing Mr. Stewart, we are truly sorry. You, like those of us who worked with him, would have enjoyed his keen wit, his business acumen, his pride in his family, community, and business.
We learned much from our association with Mr. Stewart and readily admit that our lives are richer for having enjoyed this association. To his widow, daughter, grandchildren, our sincere and heartfelt sympathy.
Bud and Gladys Spencer and the entire staff of San Ramon Valley Mill & Lumber Co.
A shorter article, his obituary, says the following:
Harry O Stewart, 74, manager of the Diamond International in Oakdale for 12 years, died October 24 at Doctor's Hospital in San Diego.
A native of Checotah, Oaklahoma, Mr. Stewart spent his early years on the Miller and Lux Ranch near Fresno; worked on Alaskan Highway in 1920, and started in the lumber business with the Pierce Lumber Co. in Biola. He worked for the Red River Lumber Co. in Westwood, Lassen County, where he met and married Alyce Dow. He was supervisor of Diamond Match yards with headquarters at Stockton until he purchased the lumber yard in Danville in 1944. He retired to Leisure World, Rossmoor, Walnut Creek in 1968. He was past master of the Masonic Lodge in Oakdale.
In addition to his widow, he is survived by a daughter, Virginia Jarvis and grandchildren, Cynthia and Dow Jarvis, of Santa Barbara.
Memorial services will be held Sunday at 2 pm at St. Anselm's Episcopal Church, 622 Michael Lane, Lafayette.
The family requests that rememberances be in the form of donations to the International Association of Cancer Victims and Friends, PO Box 764, San Carlos, Ca. 94070, or the Harry Stewart Memorial at St. Anselm's.
The memorial handout from his funeral quotes the 23rd Psalm and says he truly loved the Lord and his Fellowman. Hymns played during the service were How Great Thou Art and The Old Rugged Cross. Rev. Robert Tsu officiated.
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