John "David" Stewart

John “David” Stewart was born September 1, 1938, at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines. He passed away on February 27, 2026, at Trinity Center at Luther Park in Des Moines. David attended Saylor Elementary, Warren Harding Junior High, and graduated from North High School in 1956. David graduated from Drake University in 1960 and died wearing his Drake College ring and his Drake Bulldog sweatshirt! He was ordained as a Lutheran minister on May 31, 1964, after attending Wartburg Seminary of Dubuque, Iowa and studying one year abroad at St. Andrews University in Scotland.

David served as a Lutheran pastor in Northeastern Iowa for 35 years. His first parish was the Crane Creek Lutheran Church in rural Lawler, Iowa and the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Saude, Iowa. Later, he was a Pastor in Waterloo and ended his career as the Chaplain for the Cedar Falls Lutheran Home. David retired to Des Moines in 2000 where he served for several years as a part-time Visitation Pastor for St John’s Lutheran Church and finally, when he really retired, was an active member at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church.

David stayed active in retirement by pursuing his many and varied interests. He loved to travel and visited many “far flung” parts of the world to include all of Europe (except France), Russia, South America (including Machu Pichu and The Galapagos Islands), Australia, Viet Nam, and on one memorable trip, he drove the ALCAN highway to Alaska and back!

David was a strong supporter of many charity organizations through financial contributions and volunteer work. David volunteered for Iowa Radio Reading Information Service (IRIS) by reading newspapers aloud to more than 11,000 print disabled Iowans. He also volunteered for several years as a tour guide at Terrace Hill or The Iowa Governor’s mansion. David was an active member, and made many friends, in The Scottish Heritage Society of Iowa, The Windsor Heights Elderberries, and the Iowa Democratic Party.

In his free time, David enjoyed going to the movies and attending Drake University Basketball games. He had season tickets for the Des Moines Symphony and Playhouse and enjoyed going out to dinner with friends and family. David was a “dog person” and he loved taking Buster, his gentle giant Newfoundland, and Rowdy, his Jack Russel Terrier, on long walks all over Des Moines.

David was preceded in death by his beloved parents: Alex and Dorothy (Grother) Stewart, uncles and aunts: Jack and Margaret Stewart, Al and June (Grother) Fortezzo and Bill Grother, cousins: Kristin (Stewart) Abbey, Brian Grother and Warren Fortezzo. David is survived by Marilyn (Munzenmaier) Grother, and cousins: Jeff Fortezzo and wife Marilyn, Alan Grother and wife Sheri, Bev (Stewart) Kreutz and husband Bill.

There will be a visitation/viewing on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Funeral service will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Windsor Heights Lutheran Church, 1240 66th Street, Windsor Heights and a private graveside service on Saturday March 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Glendale Masonic Cemetery, 4909 University Avenue, Des Moines. In lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Windsor Heights Lutheran Church or St John’s Lutheran Church, Drake University, or Every Step Hospice.

For those unable to attend the funeral service in person, it will be livestreamed through Windsor Heights Lutheran Church's Facebook page. click here

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