William James (Buddy, Bill) Stewart- December 22, 2022 (88 years) of Munster, Indiana (Lansing, IL, Seymour IN) William passed away peacefully being released from a long illness and missing the love of his life, Barbara, for nearly eight months to the day of her passing. He is survived by his children, Vicki Stewart, Brian Stewart, and James (Kelli) Stewart. Grandchildren Kelli (Luke) Besse, Sara (Zack) Schaeffer, Candice Stewart (Brandon Potter), Trevor Stewart, Ethan Stewart, and Noelle Stewart. He was beloved “Papoo” to nine great-grandchildren. He was a much-loved brother to Margaret and Donna. He was a favorite uncle. He was a trustworthy friend, and a fair and respected leader. At 7 years old, he was preceded in death by his father Claud, and subsequently by his mother Sarah Louise and step-father Ed.

William entered the Navy at 17 years old and is an honored veteran of the Korean War. Some of his favorite stories were those of his travels to Hawaii and Japan while in the military. He served on the USS New Jersey (BB-62), the nation’s most decorated battleship. There wasn’t a lot of talk about the details of his role as a radio operator, as much of his work and intercepts were secret. It is known that he was one of only a couple residents on the ship to carry a gun, and he had special privileges. Family was intrigued when he could translate Russian radio transmissions they came across when vacationing in the north long after his discharge from the Navy.

Letters and postcards to Barbara through his enlistment paved the way to marriage and starting their family when he was honorably discharged. He became a hard-working and accomplished salesman, and eventually a business owner. Advanced Data Systems, Inc (ADS) supported his family for decades, and his sons joined him in business. Bill was a pioneer in his industry, moving from selling typewriters and mechanical cash registers to electronic cash registers and eventually software. In the early 80’s he was one of the few in his industry to have code writers on his staff. He was proud of the business that he built, rejoicing in providing for his family and staff.

He was an avid boater after the Navy, and a favorite pastime was spending time on his cabin cruiser. Many weekends were spent on the boat in the Hammond Marina, he was one of the first to reserve his slip when it was being built. In the past year, taking a ride to the marina was a joy for him as it bypassed his dementia and restored memories and talk of how much he loved it there. Bill also loved his place “Up North” in Wisconsin. His family spent many vacations at the place in the north woods. It was incredibly special enjoying fishing, deer shining, skiing & boating, bon-fires, and time together with the “kids”. Bill wasn’t a particularly savvy fisherman, though he loved it. His infrequent fishing success might have been due to the grandchildren doing all but sinking the boat when he took them out. (Think tangled fishing line and getting the boat horn stuck “on”). Luckily, Bill knew when to cut bait and bring the boat home. Still, many fond memories were created at the lake, and many fishing stories are still being told. In addition, Bill had no problem entertaining Barb’s desire to hit the nearby casinos as a compliment to lake life. He was always up for adventure, and they traveled for business and pleasure whenever they could.

Bills love for his family will be remembered by generations. There’s a boatload (see what we did there) of pictures of Bill holding babies and celebrating his growing tribe over the years. He will be deeply missed by those that loved him. Mostly, he will be forever honored by what he brought to the world.

Visitation and recognition of William’s impactful life will be at Kish Funeral Home, 10000 Calumet Avenue, Munster, IN on Sunday January 8th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, with a memorial service beginning at 6:00pm.

A military honor funeral ceremony and burial will be Wednesday January 11th

commencing at noon at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, 20953 W. Hoff Road, Elwood, IL