Barney Stewart III, beloved husband and father, passed from this life to the next on April 26, 2025. He is survived by his wife Bonnie B. Stewart, four children Barney Stewart IV, K. Leigh Stewart, John D. Holt and Lelane J. Rybacki, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
He was born in Oklahoma City to Emily McAlister and Barney Stewart Junior, the second of six children in the family. He graduated from Casady College Prepatory School with both academic and athletic honors in 1956.
He attended Yale University, graduating with a BA in Economics. While at Yale he developed a lasting love of music and song. He sang with the Yale Glee Club, the Augmented Seven and the senior men’s a capella group, The Whiffenpoofs of 1960. In later years he sang with the Yale Alumni Chorus at venues around the world and in the last two years with the Shamrock Singers at Aldersgate.
After college he joined the U.S. Marine Corp where he served active duty from 1961 to 1964 and U.S. Marine Corp Reserves until his Honorable Discharge in 1971 as Captain.
He attended the University of Oklahoma Law School and was Topic Editor of the Oklahoma Law Review in 1967. He graduated with a Juris Doctor degree and was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1967. He was hired by Mosteller, Fellers, Snyder and Badger Law Firm in Oklahoma City where he worked from 1967 to 1971.
In 1971 he moved his family to North Carolina and took a position as a Corporate Attorney with Moore and Van Allen. He was a dedicated lawyer and worked for M&VA for 33 years during which time he served as Chairman of the Securities Regulation Committee 1981 – 1985 and Vice Chairman of the Business Law Section of the NC Bar Association 1985 – 1987. Finding not enough to keep him busy in retirement, he went back to the practice of law joining the firm of Bryan, Cave, Leighton, Paisner in 2008 where he worked until the Covid Quarantine.
He was an avid golfer and his love of the game and for young people inspired him to work to bring the First Tee of Greater Charlotte to our area. The mission of the First Tee is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and promote healthy life choices through the game of golf. Barney served as Co-Founder and Director in 2003.
Barney loved people and no one was a stranger – just another friend to get to know better. We will miss him terribly, his love and special care for his family, his good humor and laughter, his gentle soul and his joy of life. He kept us smiling.