Stewart was born December 21, 1940, in Bolton, England, the son of Thomas and Irene Heyes. He grew up in Bolton with his brother Ian. As a youth, Stewart was a competitive swimmer winning numerous medals. He did a short stint in the British Army, including time in Yemen where he was wounded.
Moving to Canada in the mid 1960’s he used his machinist training primarily in the airline industry. He had a long career with Canadian Airlines where his skills were recognized, which led him to increasingly responsible positions.
Stewart had two great loves in his life and as those who knew him, they are very clear that number one was his wife, Gillian, who sadly predeceased him by 12 years. He adored her and missed her greatly until he passed away. They shared a mutual passion for travelling and more importantly their love for Corvettes. Corvettes brought them together and led to their happy marriage.
Stewart was a long and active member of both the Corvette and the Route 66 Club. He participated in many competitions and road trips. He was very proud of his various trophies and awards.
He was a very active member of the Freemasons, joining the Ancient Light Lodge No. 88 in Ladner, B.C. in the year 2000 and working his way up to Worshipful Master in 2004. Stewart spent the rest of his years as Director of Ceremonies.
Stewart will be remembered as a good friend and for his impish smile, his wit, sense of humour and his debonair appearance.
Stewart is survived by his nephews, Andrew and Duncan Heyes who reside in the US.
August 11th, 2023
I just found out today [ Aug. 8th ] that this obituary existed . I met Stewart and Gillian some 15 years ago at a Route 66 meeting. I am an outgoing type of person and usually get to know most people quite easily. It took Gillians sudden passing to bring us together. I met up with Stewart in the parking lot of Gillians Celebration of Life and he looked so lost I just went over and hugged him and told him of all his friends sorrow in Gillians passing. I said that I would call him and I did. When i visited with him and shared stories both good and bad we discovered that we both had a love of aircraft old and new. We traded and shared books over the years and that was when I discovered he wanted to become a pilot !!!!!! Stewart was going to take flying lessons but then Covid came to Canada and in the few years that we were in a sort of isolation he along with some personal situations lost that desire. Stewart could be stubborn, quick to anger and impatient. We spent many an afternoon together discussing the merits of Scotch over Rum, shared birthday celebrations. I will miss him terribly, my very good friend.
August 9th, 2023
I met Stewart at work at Canadian Airlines where he was a machinist foreman, we both had corvettes and joined the bccc. club later Stewart introduced me to the route 66 club. we did a lot trips with each club. Stewart was hard worker at work and at home, he was great friend of mine.he lost his wife Gillian in 2011 witch he loved so much now they are togeather again.rest in peace my friend. God Bless
August 7th, 2023
We met Stewart and Gillian about fifteen years ago when we joined the B.C. Corvette Club, not long after we moved to Surrey. It turned out that we lived nearby, so we started seeing each other socially in addition to the Corvette events we all were attending. A group of us frequently went out to dinner together, and June taught Gillian and some of the others, dancing in her home studio.
Gillian's passing in 2011 changed the dynamic of this relationship and her loss was very, very hard on Stewart, however, we still continued to see a lot of each other. Stewart had Christmas dinner with us every year, always being sent home with a turkey dinner "doggy bag"! He visited us at our place in Florida and went out on our Florida boat. In Vancouver, he also made a number of boat trips with us, so much so, that the stateroom he slept in became known as the "Stewart Room"!
Stewart was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He was courteous, generous, thoughtful and loyal. His interests included Corvettes, aircraft and history and we had many engaging conversations, often accompanied (my making sure I always had on hand), by a glass of Glenmorangie - served "neat"!
June and I sorely miss him and know that we will never be fortunate enough to meet another "Stewart".
David Coe
August 7th, 2023
He was a gentle and generous man. He was a quiet man, he told me that a teacher had complained that he spoke too loudly, so from that time on he always spoke quietly. Often I had to ask him to repeat himself. He liked his food plain, no sauce on his hamburger, no dressing on his salad. I remember a restaurant outing where they brought sauce on his meal, and Gillian blew up at the waiter. Gillian and Stewart were part of our walking group for a few years, and he continued with walking with his Crescent Beach friends. Gillian was his passion his rock and his love and when she suddenly passed from cancer in 2011 he was bereft.
His friends helped to fill that void, but he sorely missed her. He was the consummate guest wherever he went. He would always bring a bottle of wine and a hostess gift to dinners. We hosted him several times in Palm Springs for a week or two at a time, and he was always a pleasure.
He still went on cruise ships and went out and met people. He had the opportunity to find a new partner, but it seemed that he could only think of Gillian. So he enjoyed his friends, his Scotch and his Corvettes. Early on Saturday or Sunday morning he would drive his cars around at speed. That was his weekly thrill, as long as it was sunny.
He liked to fly, and was thrilled when a friend took him up and even let him practice with the controls. With his background from Britain he was enamored with planes, and particularly with Spitfires and other older aircraft.
We celebrated last Christmas with him, but it seemed from that time on he went downhill and we sadly lost a very dear friend.
August 5th, 2023
I met Stewart at a Route 66 meeting about 15 years ago. Our friendship grew from that meeting, as we had a lot in common. Stewart had me join the BC Corvette Club..
And our friendship grew. We did an assortment of car shows together. And we enjoyed each other on a Route 66 trip down south. Stewart was a good man and never had a bad word about anyone. I’m going to miss his smile and wit.
We met at Stewards house for drinks and apes before each Corvette meeting, and then to a restaurant for a meal before the meetings
Stewart my friend rest in pease. Until we meet again.
John Sulentich
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