Lydia Stewart, 76

In memory of Lydia M. Stewart, age 76 of Helena, Nov. 14, 1946 – Aug. 31, 2023.

Lydia M. Stewart passed away Aug. 31, 2023. Lydia Mary Martin was born Nov. 14, 1946, and spent the first two years of her life in a foundling home and was later adopted by William and Mabel Martin. She was raised in Brooklyn and Bronx, New York, with her sister, and best friend, Eileen Joiner, along with her brothers Albert Widor, and Joey Martin.

She met the love of her life, Ron, in 1965. A blue-eyed, dreamy airman, raising three young children on his own. That won her heart over, and they married shortly after their first meeting. Lydia embraced wholeheartedly the role of wife and mom. Together, Ron, Lydia and the children traveled the country in the Air Force. Lydia’s favorite place to be stationed was Tarague Beach, Yido Guam, because of the white sands, beautiful coral reefs and shells she could collect. During their time in the service Ron spent five remote tours away from his family and Lydia “held down the fort” with their children. She ran a tight ship, keeping everything in order. Her children learned how to make a bed with tight, military corners, and would proudly show a quarter bounce. She was proud to hold the title of Air Force wife and would still be traveling East, West, North and South had Ron not retired after serving 21 years; settling down in the Big Sky Country of Montana.

Lydia loved her children and grandchildren with all her heart and wanted to be surrounded by children her entire life. She is survived by children Ronald Stewart Jr., (Kate), Traverse City, Michigan; Mary Roxbury, Houston Texas; Lori Schroeder, (Shawn), Helena; Dorothy Stewart, Kalispell; Skye Stewart, Helena; and Brandon Stewart, Helena; and grandchildren Chris Meek, Niki Roxbury, Grayson and Shay Schroeder, and Isabella and Benjamin Meyers.

Ron and Lydia were foster parents and guardians for over 40 years and adopted two of their foster children Brandon and Skye. They were proud to have been selected as Montana’s Foster Parents of the Year and went on to focus on the care of special needs children for the last 25 years of fostering.

Besides raising her family, Lydia held many jobs between all the moves required as a military family. She was best known for being a wonderful short order cook, doughnut maker for Dunkin' Donuts, CNA, and beautician, and her favorite was being a paraprofessional working with special needs children at East Evergreen Elementary School.

Lydia was such a loving, generous, amazingly tough spitfire, full of life, and entered a room like no other. You knew she was present. She spent many years battling non-alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver, lupus, polio and of recent Alzheimer’s. However, that didn’t slow her down. A 4’8”, feisty pistol, Lydia had a love for driving big trucks and often carried step stools to climb into them. I’m sure all in Helena, including buildings and curbs, knew Nana was on the road! She also had a passion for collecting diamond rings, Fiestaware, Precious Moments dolls, you know the ones whose eyes would follow you, and well anything collectible she didn’t want to miss out on. We’re positive she created and belonged to the truck of the month club. Lydia was well known for her craftiness and had an entire room filled with scrapbooking and quilling. She would spend hours working on one tiny, beautifully, twined quill flower that would be used for handcrafted cards and pictures.

We would like to send a sincere thank you to Lydia’s medical team at St. Peter’s Hospital, Leslie Wilson and Robert McVeigh, who provided care with such dignity and compassion. We are very grateful to the St. Peter’s Hospice team that provided our family with compassion and guidance through this experience. This care allowed Lydia to be comforted in her home surrounded by her loving family.

Lydia is preceded in death by her parents, William and Mabel Martin; sister Eileen Joiner; brother Albert Widor; and son Brandon Stewart.

Viewing will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave. A graveside service will follow at 1 p.m. at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison.