Obituary of James B. Stewart

James B. Stewart, 88, of Randolph, passed away at Sunrise Assisted Living at Randolph on January 26, 2022. Born in Rahway to the late Walter E. Stewart and Nellie Kight Burgess Stewart (descendants of Scottish Pre-Revolutionary War Settlers in North Carolina), James resided in Virginia from 1956 to 1958, New Jersey from 1958 to 1964, Illinois from 1964 to 1973, and Indiana from 1973 to 1977; before settling in Randolph 45 years ago. James graduated from Harrison High School as a Salutatorian in 1951. He went onto to earn his BS degree (1955) and his BME/Mechanical Engineering degree (1956), both from Cornell University. Upon graduating from Cornell, James proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as an Ensign on a PT Boat. He was transferred to the Reserves, where he was assigned to Naval Intelligence. He retired from the Naval Reserves as a Commander in 1993. James' career included working at Westinghouse, Sunbeam, Joselyn Enterprises, Magnavox, MetaFrame, Clairol, and Farberware. Most recently, he was a Professor in Arts & Design at Middlesex College in Edison. In his spare time, James enjoyed learning about Natural History; Photography; Audiophile; and Furniture & Cabinetry. He designed & drafted blueprints for an A-frame house with a friend who went on to build it. A model railroader, James designed and built 4’ x 8’ N-Scale intricately landscaped “Old Trap – Sligo” layout. And, a world traveler, James visited [Stonehenge] British Isles, Scandinavia, [Great Wall] China, [Angkor Wat] Cambodia, Thailand, [Machu Pichu] Peru, [Chichen Izta] Mexico, Puerto Rico, [Mesa Verde] Colorado, Route 66, and took an Alaskan Cruise. James also collected cameras, guns, compasses, and diecast model cars. James is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Judith Z. Stewart. He is also survived by his devoted daughter, Katherine M.S. (Roger) West, and son-in-law, Gustavo O. "Tavo" De Leon, Jr.; his cherished grandchildren, Alexander (Emily Childs) West, Andrew (Rachel) West, Sarah Rebecca West (ex: William “Wil” Rosenstengle, Jr.); and his adored great-grandchildren, Ronan West, and Mia Sylvia West. James was predeceased by his beloved daughter, Martha I. Stewart De-Leon. A Graveside Service with Military Honors will be held on Friday, January 28, 2022 at Noon at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY. The family kindly requests donations in memory of James may be made to: The Navy Seal Foundation (https://www.navysealfoundation.org/), Shenandoah National Park Trust (https://www.snptrust.org/), or Amazon Conservation Team (https://www.amazonteam.org/). Arrangements were under the care of Dangler Funeral Home, Morris Plains.