BOMBER MEMORIAL

RORY GARLAND STEWART ~ Class of 1973
October 4, 1954 - March 27, 2014

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Rory, 59, of Richland was peacefully welcomed into the arms of our Heavenly Father, surrounded by loving family on March 27, 2014, after a short battle with cancer. He was born on October 4, 1954, to parents Reba and Roy Homer Stewart in Richland.

He was raised in Kennewick and Richland. His first home was in the North Richland Trailer Park. Rory was an active little boy who loved playing in his big backyard with his Tonka trucks, toy guns, and dog, Pete who often followed him to school. He had a soft spot for animals and always cried at the end of the movie, "Old Yeller". He enjoyed bike adventures, family road trips, and riding the train to Missouri to visit relatives. He loved exploring on his grandparents' farm and playing with cousins, fishing with his Uncle Tom, and fish fries. He also enjoyed Boy Scouts and Little League baseball (he was a Boston Red Sox fan). He loved classic western movies, classic cars, and kept a collection of fine pens. As a skilled woodworker, he had an appreciation for fine woods.

Rory attended Lewis and Clark, Marcus Whitman, and Carmichael schools, and graduated from Richland's Columbia High School in 1973. In high school, he participated in track and field and ran cross-country. His love of running continued throughout his life. He also had an irrigation job and a paper route. He graduated from Washington State University in 1980.

During Rory's career, he worked for various contractors at the Hanford Site. He worked as an apprentice insulator at N-Reactor; as a nuclear fuels/components fabrication technician at the Fuels Development Laboratory where he met his wife, Jennifer; as a Senior Reactor Operator at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF); and most recently as a systems engineer at the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Friends and co-workers remember Rory as one of those people we encounter in our lifetime who shows us through their strength of character, a true example of what a good and competent person is by simply setting the example without advertising the fact. He was smart, driven, exacting, full of integrity and generosity, had a great sense of humor, and loved science, language, and politics. As a co-worker, he was highly respected; he pulled his weight (and more), knew what he was doing and willingly shared his knowledge and talents. He helped train new folks, had a great loyalty to the team, was continually upgrading his knowledge, and loved solving problems. As a cherished friend, he could always be relied on to listen, to help out, to be present, and to offer support in times of celebration and mourning. He was a great story teller and conversationalist; he enjoyed comparing notes about the latest scientific discovery or political event, or some new word he had discovered. His careful observations and wry wit were just icing on the cake.

Rory's greatest joy was watching his two sons grow up. As a master protector and provider for his family, he was always present in their lives putting their interests above his own. Attending club, school, and college soccer games, and track and cross-country meets was especially memorable. He loved taking his family and dogs on road and camping trips and kept detailed travel logs of those adventures for them to look back on.

He was preceded in death by his stepsister, Jean Helgeson.

Rory is survived by his loving wife of 26 years Jennifer; sons Jordan and Kyle; mother Reba Baugh Helgeson and stepfather William Helgeson; father Roy Homer Stewart; sister Debra Stewart ('70) Clossey (Timothy); niece Kaitlin; nephew Patrick; stepbrother Jack Helgeson; brother-in-law Eric Gunther (Sandy), and son Derek; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins in Missouri.

Special thanks go to the Kadlec Regional Medical Center and the Hospice at the Chaplaincy staff for their compassionate care given to Rory. Heartfelt appreciation goes to our family, friends, and co-workers for all their love and support.

Rory, go rest high on that mountain now with Him and your beloved companion dogs Elan, Baron, and Koa. Cessna will continue to watch over us. It's time to do some fly fishing too with Newt and Craig. A beloved husband, father, son, brother, and uncle... his life was taken far too soon.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the National Canine Cancer Foundation at www.wearethecure.org.

A celebration of Rory's life will be held at Memories at Sunset Event Center in Richland on Saturday, May 31, 2014, from 3pm – 6pm. A private internment will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens at a later date.

Life Tributes Cremation Center, Kennewick, is in charge of arrangements. Express your thoughts and memories in their online guest book at http://www.lifetributescenter.com/_mgxroot/page_10780.php