Barbara “Jane” Stewart, age 60, died Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Louis County, MO, after a lengthy battle with multiple health problems.
Jane, born Sept. 18, 1955, in Starkville, MS., was the first child of Harry Lloyd Stewart and Jo Marie (Lawrence) Stewart. She would eventually be the eldest of eight children, with five younger sisters and two younger brothers. During her childhood, the family lived in Greensboro, NC; Mobile, AL; and Belton, MO. After graduating Belton High School in 1973, Jane attended University of Missouri at Kansas City and Longview Community College in Lee’s Summit, MO. She spent many years as a systems analyst in the banking industry in both the Kansas City area and Phoenix, AZ.
She moved in 1993 to live with her parents in Oakville, attending nearby Meramec Community College and joining Concord Baptist Church. After her father’s death in 2004, she and her mother continued to live together in the family home. She loved playing board games with her many nieces and nephews almost as much as she loved to watch Cardinal baseball. She was an active member of the Friendship Garden Sunday school class at Concord Church and particularly enjoyed sending notes to members.
Her serious health issues began with a diagnosis of lupus in 2000, followed by later diagnoses of diabetes and metastatic colon cancer. She valiantly fought the cancer until her death, completing 65 chemo treatments.
Jane is preceded in death by her father. She is survived by her mother; sisters Jeanne (Greg) Hultgren of Lenexa, KS; Ginger (Brooks) LaRowe of Fenton; Nancy (Marc) Hoopingarner of Apex, NC; Laura (Robert) Graham of Porter, TX; and Marti (Michael) Peeler of Denham Springs, LA; brothers Bob (Liz) Stewart of Charlotte, NC and Phil (Lesa) Stewart of Oakville; nieces and nephews Ashley (Hultgren) Sekula of Algonquin, IL; Katie (Hultgren) Rutledge of Centennial, CO; Kim Hultgren of Lenexa, KS; Melissa Hoopingarner of Manila, Philippines; Caleb Hoopingarner of Apex, NC; Sally (LaRowe) Baker of Chicago; Mary Jane LaRowe of Fenton; Phil Stewart of Mahomet, IL; Rachel and Samuel Stewart of Charlotte, NC; James Lupo of St. Charles, MO; Greg Stewart of St. Louis; Kristina Lupo and Emily Kearns of Oakville; Claire and James Graham of Porter, TX; and Stewart and Matthew Peeler of Denham Springs, LA; great-nephews Jack and Jimmy Sekula of Algonquin, IL; and Brock and Hunter Rutledge of Centennial, CO; and many friends.
Visitation will be Sunday, January 17, 2016, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at Kutis Funeral Home, 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd., St. Louis, 63129. Funeral services will be at the funeral home, Monday, Jan. 18, 2016, at 10 a.m. with visitation the hour prior to the service. Interment will follow immediately after at Park Lawn Cemetery, 1800 Lemay Ferry Rd., St. Louis, 63125.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), the Lupus Foundation of America (lupus.org), or Concord Church (concordlife.com).