The Honorable Max B. Stewart, 95, of Galesburg, formerly of Hamilton, died at 7:54 a.m. Friday, June 9, 2017 in Galesburg Cottage Hospital.
He was born August 31, 1921, in Keokuk, Iowa, the son of Robert and Mildred (Foelker) Stewart. He married Dolores R. Dulak in December 1946, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She preceded him in death in October 1983. He later married Martha Schrage Kirchner on May 18, 1985, in Carthage. She preceded him in death April 2, 2013.
He is survived by a son, James B. (and wife Gayle) Stewart of Galesburg; a step-son, Kraig (and wife Mary) Kirchner of Colorado; a step-daughter, Cassie (and husband Stacy) Georges of Carthage, Illinois; six grandchildren, Justin (and Nirupa Kartha) Stewart, Evan Stewart, Justin (and wife Renee) Georges, Maggie (and husband Jason) Lipscomb, Emily (and husband Brandon) Cassens, and Kristopher (and wife Olga) Kirchner; three great grandchildren, Aden Kirchner, Parker Cassens, and Olivia Lipscomb; a nephew, Bob Grace; and two nieces, Carolyn and Nancy. In addition to his wives, he was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Elizabeth Grace in 1946.
Max graduated from Hamilton High School in 1939 and from Carthage College in 1943. In 1941, typical of his generation, he answered the call to service and enlisted in the United States Navy following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His enlistment was deferred until his graduation from college, at which time he was commissioned an officer. He served until being discharged in 1946. He served with the Amphibious Navy as a skipper on flat bottomed vessels. He and his crew navigated the Pacific Ocean, some 6000 miles, from Hawaii to Okinawa, Japan.
After the war, he attended Case Western Reserve Law School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1948. He returned to Illinois and practiced law in Hancock County. He was elected State’s Attorney in 1956. He was a career prosecutor until being elected a Circuit Judge in 1974. In 1981, he was elected Chief Judge of the Circuit. He served until retiring in 1988.
Judge Stewart spent most of his life in Hancock County, where he was a member of Bethel Presbyterian Church in Hamilton and the Kiwanis Club. After moving to Galesburg in 2012, he attended First Presbyterian Church, Grace Anglican Church, and church services at The Kensington, where he lived.
He was a member of the Illinois State’s Attorney Association and served as its president in 1966. He was also a member of the National District Attorney’s Association, member and past president of Hancock County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Judge’s Association, and the National Judicature Society.
Cremation will be accorded. Visitation will be 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 16, 2017 at Grace Anglican Church, 151 E. Carl Sandburg Drive in Galesburg. Requiem Mass will follow at 10:30 a.m. with Father Andy Ainley officiating. Burial with Military Honors will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Oakwood Cemetery in Hamilton, Illinois. Memorial contributions in his name may be made to Bethel Presbyterian Church in Hamilton or Grace Anglican Church in Galesburg. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services of Galesburg is handling arrangements for the family. Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.
