Paul Allen Stewart

If you ever heard a laugh echo across a Kansas field, saw someone expertly shoot a clay pigeon out of the sky while singing a tune with perfect pitch or rode a school bus in Elk County, chances are you knew Paul Allen Stewart.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, on February 8, 1946, Paul lived a life as wide open and wonderful as the Midlewest skies he grew up under. Spoiled in all the right ways by his parents Troy and Pauline (Stickle) Stewart, young Paul was a Boy Scout, a music lover and an award-winning outdoorsman who left behind boxes of trap and skeet trophies for his daughters (because bragging rights are heirlooms).

He graduated from Wichita Southeast High School, where he laid the foundation for a life full of adventure and hard work. At Kansas State University, he didn’t just hit the books, he hit the stage as a proud member of the Men’s Glee Club, earning a scholarship that let him travel, sing and fill rooms with both melody and mischief.

Throughout his life, Paul pursued a series of meaningful professions that reflected both his hands-on skills and his passion for the outdoors. He worked on helicopters at Boeing, always handling “the larger jobs” naturally, because he was literally the biggest guy on the team. Later, he ran his own farm in Elk County Kansas where he raised crops, cattle and the occasional hog. But it was as a Certified Shooting Instructor and hunter’s guide at a ranch that Paul truly combined his two great loves: nature and people. For years, he led sportsmen through the wild, sharing both his knowledge and his quick wit. He rounded out his working years behind the wheel of a West Elk School District bus, where for ten years he made sure the kids that lived way out in the country had a safe ride to school everyday.

It was on a blind date that he met the love of his life, Roslyn. They hit it off immediately and for the next 54 years, they walked through life hand in hand, attending concerts and exploring the world around them with family and friends.

Paul lived for fun and never needed an excuse to chase it. Whether it was fishing, hunting, singing or planning the next spontaneous adventure, he made sure no one was left out of the good times. He was the “let’s go do something fun” guy, the instigator of joy, bringing laughter to his daughters and friends. He loved music, movies and musicals; rifles and reels; harmony and hilarity. His personality was as big as his heart, and both were huge. He was a man who made life feel like an adventure.

Paul was the devoted dad of Kristen Stewart Bunch and Kelly Stewart and PaPa to Sean and Nathan Bunch. His family meant the world to him and he made sure they knew it, through memories they’ll carry forever.

Paul is now reunited with his beloved Roslyn and parents Troy and Pauline (Stickle) Stewart, probably teaching the angels how to shoot skeet and harmonize in four-part harmony.

The family will be hosting a wake at their home, a heartfelt, down-to-earth celebration just the way he wanted. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation to kidney.org in Paul’s honor, continuing his legacy of care and compassion.

We’ll miss his laugh, his stories, his songs, but most of all, the way he made everyone feel like they were part of something special. Because with Paul, you always were.