Paul Stewart, Jr., 86

Paul Stewart, Jr. was born Oct. 22, 1939, in Hallsville, Texas, and passed away Sept. 13, 2026, in Coeur d'Alene, after a long fight with cancer. His passing is a blessing — he fought hard, but it finally got the best of him. In his last months, he received incredible love and care from The Lodge at Fairway and the team at Auburn Crest Hospice, and his family is deeply grateful for how well they treated him.

Paul grew up moving around Texas and Oklahoma before his family landed in Santa Paula, Calif., when he was a sophomore in high school. That's where he met the love of his life, Carrie Ann Taylor, and married her right after graduation. The next year, in 1959, they welcomed their son Roger, followed by Gail in 1961 and David in 1963.

Paul built a career as a brick mason and contractor, and he was good at it — until a construction site accident in 1968 nearly cost him his life. Ever the fighter, he worked his way back to health and started a new masonry and concrete company that took off. In 1979, he moved the family to Coeur d'Alene, and in 1982 he launched Stewart Construction as a true family business, working alongside Carrie, his three kids, and their spouses. Over the next twenty years, Stewart Construction built many of the area's most recognizable homes and projects.

Paul and Carrie retired in early 2001, but retirement didn't slow him down much. He spent the next twenty-plus years restoring classic trucks and cars — his 1953 GMC pickup and a "Woodie" van restoration with Dean Lundblad both took home regional car show awards, and he was proud of every bit of it. In later years, he turned to building and selling utility trailers, often spending his days at his home shop, then later at the shop in Dalton, which came to be known as “Papa’s Shop.” He spent hours passing on his wealth of knowledge to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren: how to weld, swing a hammer, and take pride in their creations. After the death of their son-in-law, Kevin, in 2017, Gail generously opened her home to Mom and Dad, and the three of them supported one another through the years that followed — a season the family will always remember for its closeness and care.

More than anything, Paul was devoted to his family. He and Carrie were fixtures at thousands of games and events over the years, rarely missing one — even if it meant getting up at 4 a.m. to get his workday in first. He became "Papa" not just to his own grandkids, but to their teammates and friends, too.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Troy; his sister, Shirley; his wife, Carrie, in 2023; and his son-in-law, Kevin. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Patty Stewart; daughter Saundra Gail Chamberlin; son David; siblings Jim Stewart, Betty Tibbits and Patricia Stinnett; grandchildren Nicole Roth (Dillon), Natalie Kiefer (Chris), Taylor Stewart, Kristin Williams (Derek), Jaime Arnold (Ryan), Brandon Stewart and Derrek Stewart; and great-grandchildren Kendall and Kimber Williams, Jackson Arnold, and Ellie, Gabe, Ceci, Aria and Bridget Kiefer.

A private interment will be held with close family, followed by a celebration of life Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Eagles Lodge in Coeur d'Alene, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Family and friends are welcome to stop by and celebrate a truly terrific life.

In the words of his grandchildren:

"It's a love without end, Amen." He was there for every game, every concert, every milestone — always making sure we knew how proud he was. He was always good for a hug, some advice, and a story that might have been a bit of a fish tale. Some of our best memories are early mornings fishing, Christmas mornings together, and Papa singing "Baby Blue" by George Strait while we stood on his toes and danced. This summer, after everything got so hard, a beautiful double rainbow appeared the day he passed — and we can't help but believe it was him telling us he's home now, with his bride, and finally free from pain. He often talked about his 65-year love affair with Grandma. Rest easy, Papa. We love you all the way to heaven and back.