A life well-lived: Goodbye to a friend

On Sept. 21 we attended the memorial celebration of Stewart Hale’s life at the Christus Victor Church. Stewart was my best friend in Elk Grove.

I met Stuart in 2004 when his wife and my wife were active at the library’s annual sale, and Stewart and I were on the clean-up committee. We found out we were both veterans of World War II. We both liked current events but he was not active here. I invited him to join the group and he became a regular member. In a year he and I and Phil Barry organized a Veterans group, and soon we also had 8 to 10 students from Elk Grove High School (listening) to stories of our war experiences. Stewart was also in the Korean War.

On Aug. 24, 2010 he was on the “Honor Flight” to Washington D.C. He had been a member of the 537 Engineering Light Pontoon Company, part of Patton’s 3rd Army. They were making bridges to enable Patton to cross over the many rivers on the road to Berlin.

For several years we played bridge together, and after bridge we often went out to eat and socialize.

When Phil Barry decided to give up the leadership of the current events group he asked Stewart to take over.

But within the last year. he started to have breathing concerns. He once told me, “Bob, tell people who are smoking to stop.” He gave it up several years ago, but doctors told him this present problem was the result of his heavy smoking years ago.

On Labor Day Saturday, Mary called me and said, “Stewart is back to his normal self.” Phyllis and I visited him and we had a great time. Stewart was joking and happy. He was going to be discharged on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Mary called us to say Stewart had died. We couldn’t believe it. As he was being examined to go home he had a bleeding problem that resulted in his death.

It has been a sad time, still, the celebration of his life showed he touched so many folks. Stewart Hale was a first-class gentleman. His life will be an inspiration to many friends who knew him.

Robert Pendleton

Elk Grove Village