Michael Roy Stewart

Michael Roy Stewart – or Mike as most people knew him – died Tuesday evening, November 2, 2021, with his family by his side.  He was 73.

Avid reader, lover of politics and Reds baseball, hater of socks and the designated hitter rule, Mike was born April 30, 1948, to Roy and Bessie Mae (Sansing) Stewart in Ashland, Kentucky.

Some of his most notable accomplishments include graduating from Morehead State University in 1971, with degrees in political science and history; serving on the Ashland City Commission from 1991 to 2000; earning his teaching certificate in history; running the Housing Authority of Ashland for seven years; and generally being a good-natured tormentor of every server, nurse and customer service rep that crossed his path.

Mike married the love of his life, Rebecca “Becke” (Powell) Stewart, in the winter of 1974. Five years later, they welcomed their only daughter, Rachel, into the world.

Among his many interests and hobbies, Mike loved to travel by car – so much so that he never flew on an airplane. During their vehicular escapades (many to visit Rachel), Becke would drive, and Mike would navigate. He took his navigational duties seriously, going so far as to call the play-by-play on all road signs they passed. “Bridges freeze before roads,” he’d caution, while driving through Georgia in July.

Mike loved Reds baseball, and one of his favorite memories was riding the train from Ashland to Cincinnati with his dad, Roy, to catch a Reds game at Crosley Field. Later, he and Rachel would make the journey by car to watch the Reds play at Riverfront. Along the way, he’d reminisce about the exploits of Johnny Bench, Tony Pérez, and Joe Morgan during the glory days of the Big Red Machine. In recent years, he’d bet a case of beer with his son-in-law, Tom, on whose team would finish with the better record: the Reds or the Minnesota Twins. Mike bought a lot of beer for Tom in the last ten years.

One of Mike’s proudest achievements was serving as an Ashland City Commissioner. He was passionate about public service and civic duty, and he took his responsibilities to serve his local community to heart. He especially loved voting to fund the building of the fire station on Carter Ave. and reopening the pond in Central Park.

Mike was preceded in death by his father and mother, Roy and Bessie Mae Stewart, and his younger brother, Brian Stewart. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Becke, and his daughter and son-in-law Rachel (Stewart) and Thomas Ryan.

Visitation will be held Friday, November 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the funeral will be Saturday, November 13, at 11:00 a.m. at Carman Funeral Home in Flatwoods.

In Mike’s honor, the family is establishing the Michael R. Stewart Memorial Scholarship for Ashland area high school seniors who intend to major in one of the social sciences. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made through GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/48f17ab3) or by contacting Rachel directly.