Stewart, Jean
STEWART, Jean Haynie
February 6, 1941 - July 8, 2022
Jean Haynie Stewart of Rancho Mission Viejo, Calif., passed from this world to the next on July 8, 2022, with her loving husband and daughters by her side.
Born at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., on February 6, 1941, to Mary Bishop Haynie and Virgil William Haynie, Jean grew up in Decatur, Ga. She attended Decatur High School (class of 1958) and later, Agnes Scott College and Georgia State University.
Jean married the love of her life, William James Stewart, in 1960 and they lived a life of adventure thanks to Bill's Navy and airline pilot careers, living in Pensacola, Fla.; San Diego, Calif.; Iwakuni, Japan; Chicago, Ill.; and more, before moving to Mission Viejo, Calif., in 1972. Their twin daughters, Heather and Jennifer, were born shortly thereafter and Jean devoted her life to raising them and being a role model by volunteering at church and at their schools.
Always a gifted writer, Jean published short stories in over 20 Chicken Soup for the Soul and Cup of Comfort anthologies, as well as co-authoring a book and editing many others.
Jean adored her grandchildren and lit up in their presence, unendingly excited to hear about their lives. She had the ability to become friends with nearly everyone she met, always happy to be a listening ear for anyone who needed one. She was a longtime member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents and her stepfather, Lamar Kenneth Flowers. She is survived by her husband of more than 61 years, Bill Stewart; her children, Heather Anderson (Simon Lynch) and Jennifer King (Bob); her grandchildren, Mary King and William King; and her brother, Steve Haynie.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, August 1, at noon, at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif. Jean's family has requested that any donations in her honor be made to the Orange County Rescue Mission (https://www.rescuemission.org), an organization close to her heart.
