Paul James Stewart, 89, passed from this life on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 in Mulvane, KS. He was born May 10, 1922 in Maumee, Searcy County, Arkansas. Paul was the third of four children born to Milas Andrew & Dora Gailys (Burright) Stewart.

Paul met his wife, Lucy Irene Bullington, at church in Ponca City, OK when she was only 13. He spent many visits to her home on the pretence of coming to see her brothers, until one time, the brothers weren’t home and he made his intentions known. They were married December 11, 1943 in Perry, OK, when Paul was home on leave. Paul served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal on November 27, 1945. He later enlisted in the Army Reserves and served as a weekend warrior for several years.

Paul spent his early life working on the home farm where he learned to coax another mile out of machinery and implements with the tools at hand. This served as the foundation for his mechanical insight when working as an auto and diesel mechanic in later life. He also worked as a flight line mechanic in Civil Service at McConnell Air Force Base, KS, for 10 years, and spent many years as an aircraft mechanic with The Boeing Company in Kansas and Washington State. Paul and Irene always enjoyed traveling and never tired of showing their grandchildren all of God’s scenery and unusual sights along the road. Paul retired in 1987 and he and his wife spent 10 years traveling across many of the 48 continental states, with the Sojourner Missionary group associated with the Church of Christ. Paul enjoyed gardening, and was always ready to help anyone in need, whether it was a problem with a vehicle, working on a house, or implementing a household move. People often remarked how he was able to pack more into one pickup load than most people could put in a semi. Paul was a master of “making do” with what he had. He could fix anything with whatever he could find close at hand. His family came to call his unorthodox repairs as “pulling a PJ”, and as his children and grandchildren learned to follow in his footsteps, they often “PJ’d” things. Paul was a man of few words, but when he spoke everyone listened. He would often catch his family off-guard with some tidbit of dry humor when it appeared he wasn’t even listening to the conversation.

Paul was predeceased by his parents; a son, Dennis Gale Stewart; his wife, Irene, of 66 years; a sister, Ireta (Stewart) Knittle; and a brother, Lorne Stewart. Paul is survived by one brother, Jesse Stewart of Ponca City, OK; three children, Linda Charlene Stewart of Mulvane; Neil Allan Stewart of Bethany, OK; and Paula (Dan) Fletcher of Okanogan, WA; 9 grandchildren – Michael Roberts II, Randall Stewart, Michelle (Roberts) Campbell, DJ Fletcher, Tonni (Fletcher) Payne, Crystal Fletcher, Nickalos Fletcher, Sarra (Fletcher) Shammel, and Jennie Stewart; 19 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandson.

Services will be held Friday, September 9, 2011 at 11:00 am at the College Hill Church of Christ, 413 Emery, Mulvane, KS. Officiating minister David Blankenship. Private family interment will be at Dunlap Cemetery, Butler County, KS at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to Sojourner Camp Bee, 5444 Cooks Road, Marshall, TX 75670. Arrangements with Smith Family Mortuaries - www.smithfamilymortuaries.com