Eugene D. Stewart "Blue", 82, of South Charleston was taken by the angels to be with our Lord on August 10, 2014 at Hubbard Hospice House after a long illness.

Eugene was born to Maude Ida McCallister Stewart and Leonard Luther Stewart in Smithers on October 18, 1931. He married Lucy Ellen Miller on October 23, 1952. There were three children born from this union and they raised one of their eleven grandchildren as their own.

He served two tours in the US Army from 1951 to 1955. While in Korea (1951-1952) he was part of the 822nd Aviation Engineers and Third Army. When he spoke of this tenure saying, "Oh, I was just driving a truck", he was actually a heavy equipment operator who was assisting the construction of an air strip at Taegu (now known as Daegu) and his truck was hauling military supplies all over South Korea. His second enlistment (1953-1955) was spent stateside at Camp Rucker, Alabama, Mineral Wells, TX, Alaska, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and Fort Meade, Maryland.

After leaving the Army he returned to work for Columbia Gas (Now Mountaineer Gas) where he had been working prior to his enlistment. He was a heavy equipment operator who did gas line repairs and construction of new lines. He retired in 1993 after a total of 43 years of service. During his tenure with the Gas Company and up until a near fatal illness in 2011, Eugene continued to work for other people doing everything from plumbing and construction to yard work.

Eugene gave his heart to the Lord in the 1970's after receiving third degree burns to his right hand which resulted in lengthy hospital stay. He never turned back on that commitment and for the last several years been a member of the Upton Creek Community Church on Avesta Drive in St. Albans. He remained active in church services and functions until the most recent stage of his illness had him too debilitated.

In addition to his parents, Eugene will be reunited with five brothers, one sister, one grandson, and one great granddaughter.

He is survived by Lucy, his lovely wife of sixty-one years; sons, Leonard, Karl and Bill Stewart; daughter, Sharon Bradford; seventeen grandchildren; thirty-five great grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; many friends and his church family.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, August 13, at Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar with the Rev. Charles Shelton officiating. Burial will follow in Glendale Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12 at Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.