Five Generations

Updated: Jun 10, 2018

Fathers and Grand-fathers

Five generations of Fathers and Grand-fathers. Pictured here on my callicare.org blog, are posted to honor all Fathers today, honoring my Husband John's Grand-father John, his Father John, his Daughter Deborah and his Grand-children Ryder and Callie. My Husband John was a remarkable first-born son to his Father John, also a first-born son to his Father John (see pictures) from the 1920s to the 1940s to the 2018s...generation after generation of strong Fatherhood. Faith of our Fathers, Living Faith, as the hymn sings to our hearts. His Father John III. MD was a Medical Doctor, served in the United States Army in World War II as a Battalion Surgeon in the Battle-of-The-Bulge that snowy, cold Christmas in Germany of 1944. He stacked bodies.

Before his Father left for the War, he sent a telegram to family in New York that his son, his namesake, John Henderson Stewart IV. was born on June 25, 1941, at seven pounds, in the Medical College in Richmond, Virginia. He held his son tightly just as his Father, John, Jr. had held him, John III. in New York City (see picture). The unbreakable masculine bond of love, pride, strength, protection, confidence in each other and each other's destinies was carried on in a tradition of the Stewart men. My Husband's Father was a New Yorker, tough, golden gloves boxer at Madison Square Garden, 6'0," physically fit, athletic, handsome good looks, Yale, football, motorcycle rider, and was a comfort and guide and tough-love Dad to John IV. He was no-nonsense and expected his son to be self-sufficient, to think for himself, to excel in school and athletics, and to help his Mother around the house with chores while Dad was away at the Hospital being a Surgeon. Doctor Stewart was the best role model for John and John was devoted to him all of his life.

John loved the life in Juneau, Alaska that his parents had provided for him and the family. John learned to shoot a gun when he and his Dad went duck hunting and John was in the Boy Scouts, Order of the Arrow, built two soap box derby cars himself and entered the races, and was also an acolyte at the local Episcopal church in Juneau. When an emergency happened, after a plane crashed into a glacier, and there were many causalities, John helped his Father.

Even before moving to Juneau, John had a well-deserved reputation of helping his parents when they were sick. When they lived in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, the local newspaper said of John,

"Show you what sort of a kid he is, about eight weeks ago his Mother and Dad were sick, and Johnny took over around the house. He did all the cooking and cleaning, and when you remember that he's only seven, you can see why we're all tickled he's doing so well."

This was the article when John fell out of his tree house that his Father built for the children because, active John, 7, wanted to add a second story. He did a swan dive and was rushed to the hospital with a concussion. Thankfully, he recovered fully and he made the local newspaper, picture and all, of the tree-house.

John's Grandmother Mrs. Mary Cary of Richmond, Virginia said of her Grandson John Stewart that he was a "curious" boy and she loved him very much and he loved her. When in junior high school in Santa Barbara, California, John would help is Father clean his medical offices on Saturdays. When John IV. graduated from United States Marine Corps boot camp at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, his Father was there, and proud, and bought him a bottle of whiskey.

Visited Dad in Thousand Oaks

The last four years of his Father's life found son John still faithfully taking care of his Father, driving him to the Veteran's Hospital in Los Angeles for Doctor's appointments, transporting him to our home in Ventura Keys for his Birthday, Father's Day, Christmas, Holidays. Doctor Stewart developed dementia/Alzheimer's in his last few years of life and was a resident of a Board and Care Home in Thousand Oaks, California, near our home in Ventura. John and Betsey visited Dad regularly and he loved coming to our home, walking the Beach and seeing the boats, as he had owned many boats in Long Island, Alaska, and California. He loved watching the boats, both sail and motor. The boat he owned in Alaska would take his family salmon fishing.

John's Father John III. told his son that he, John IV. was one of the top 5% of all Fathers ever, and admired him on the way he was, as a single Father, raising his two children, a daughter and a son. That compliment mean the world to my Husband, for Dad didn't give compliments freely. He was honest and a blunt New Yorker, so by his affirming the Fatherhood of my Husband, with all of its ups and downs, that was one of the highest compliments my Husband ever received, and from his own Father. Bonds. Eternal. Strong. Honest. Transparent. True. No nonsense. Complete.

Arlington National Cemetery

John planned his own Father's funeral at All Saints By-The-Sea Episcopal Church in Montecito, California, his Father and Mother's home church growing up, and our church presently. John spoke and honored his Father and his Father's wishes to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery where he rests in peace. John and Betsey Stewart visited Dad's columbarium at Arlington, in Arlington, Virginia, and paid our respects.

Marine Corps Motto

We honor our Father, Grand-Father, Great-Grand-Father on the Scottish Stewart family side, as well as the English Cary family side. I saw first-hand the devotion of a son to his Father, and, for that, I am thankful. Thank you, John, my Husband, for honoring your own Father with all of your heart and strength. It wasn't easy in the end with his dementia, but you, as the Marine Corps motto states, were Semper Fi, Always Faithful. Thank you John, and Happy Father's Day 2018. Your loving wife, Betsey. Thank you Fathers for your strong bonds with your children.