Lloyd ‘Gordon’ Stewart, 84

Lloyd ‘Gordon’ Stewart, 84

Lloyd “Gordon” Leslie Stewart left this earthly life on April 26, at the age of 84. A celebration of his life will be held on July 21, 2026, at 11 a.m. at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1295 Whitefish Stage Road, Kalispell, Montana.  

He was born on August 10, 1941, to Franklin Mark Lloyd and Ernestine Christine (Wentz) Stewart in Bismarck, North Dakota. Gordon graduated from Linton High School in 1959. During high school, Gordon was active in basketball, band, choir and he attended Boys State. After high school he joined the Army National Guard, serving for six and a half years in ND, SD and MT. During that time, he received an AA degree from Bismarck Junior College (BJC) in 1962.  

Gordon met the love of his life, Judith “Judie” Van Winkle, at BJC and they were married in Linton, ND on June 27, 1964. In 1965, they moved to Kalispell, where he worked as a clerk at a clothing store. He received his BA degree in secondary education from the University of Montana in Missoula and was then hired as a social worker for the state in Kalispell. He eventually took a job as a night auditor for Days Inn and America’s Best Value Inn, retiring in 2021.

He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting, hiking, gold panning and photography. He was a member of Flathead Wildlife Inc. for 25 years. He served as president of the Montana State Wildlife Federation in the 1980s, representing Montana at the National Wildlife Federation Conventions. Gordon also enjoyed writing and was the published author of the book "You Pick the Poison Ivy."

Gordon enjoyed traveling to ND to visit family along with trips to Hawaii, Alaska and Branson, Mo.  One of his most talked about trips was to Scotland, where he embraced his heritage and even brought home a kilt.

He will be remembered for his humor; he always had a joke to tell. His famous saying was, “To he who laughs has no ulcers.” Gordon loved to recite "The Night Before Christmas" to all.

Gordon is survived by his sister-in-law, Sandra (Larry) Laney, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judie; his parents, Franklin and Ernestine; aunts, Beatrice Alice Annie Stewart, Laurentine Wentz; and uncles, Earl and Gordon Stewart.

At Gordon’s request, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First Church of the Nazarene and the Humane Society of NW Montana.