It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of John Stewart at the age of 64.

John is predeceased by his loving wife of 35 years, Gail. He will be greatly missed by his children Wade (Emmalene), Carla, Lindsay (Mark) and Jamie (Becky). His grandchildren Jacob, Ryen, Hayden, Riley, Callum and Ren will all very much miss their Papa John, and he will be fondly remembered by many relatives and friends.

John was born in 1948 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, living there until after he graduated with a degree in business from Niagara College, earning the prestigious Dean Wyatt Award.

He met Gail and they moved to Kamloops in 1976, where they married. John and Gail founded Stewart Mortgage in 1982. The company recently celebrated 30 years in business, with son Jamie working alongside John for the past 5 years. Along with a group of Kamloops business men, John was one of the founding directors of Kam-Mic Investment Corp in 1983.

Over the last 35 years in Kamloops John played Old Timer Hockey, he was one of the original members of Friday Noon Goons Hockey, a longtime member of Rivershore Golf Club, an active member of the Kamloops Rotary Club and a longtime supporter and season ticket holder of the Kamloops Blazers. He was very active in the community, coaching softball and minor hockey and sponsoring many charity events and youth sports teams in town.

John had a big personality and was truly larger than life. A gregarious, positive person, he was always ready with a joke and a smile and he instantly made you feel like a friend. John enjoyed playing hockey and golf, spending time with his family and having a pint with his friends. He loved life, played hard and truly lived life to the fullest. His passing leaves a huge hole in the lives of his family and we will carry him in our hearts forever.

A Celebration of John's life will be held on Sunday, March 17, 2013 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Colombo Lodge.

The family would like to thank the staff at Royal Inland Hospital who cared for John in his last few days, particularly the nursing staff in the ICU. In addition, family doctor Bruce Newmarch and the doctors at the Kelowna Cancer Clinic provided John with exceptional care.

In lieu of flowers, should family or friends desire, donations to the Kamloops Wildlife Park in honour of John would be greatly appreciated.