Stewart Lisle Sterling

Stewart Lisle Sterling, Jr., 78, died Dec. 21, 2008 at home in Cottonwood, Arizona surrounded by family. He was born Jan. 25, 1930 in Hollywood, CA to Lulu and Stewart Sterling Sr. A child of the depression he remembers traveling and hitchhiking with his parents across country between CA and MN and Canada. He graduated from Proctor High School in Proctor, MN in 1948. After high school he moved to Chicago and shortly afterwards joined the Air Force. While stationed in Arizona he met his first wife, Jean Marie Sautter at a USO dance. They were married Nov. 8, 1952 and were soon transferred to Texas. After discharge from the service they returned to Phoenix where Stewart began working for Economics Laboratory as a salesman. Over the years transfers with the company took the family to Tucson, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, back to Phoenix and finally to Alaska. Stewart brought his family to Anchorage in 1972 traveling up the Alcan highway in a motor home. Stewart retired from the company in 1976 and he and Jean took their two youngest sons and traveled around the US in a motor home for 2 yrs while home schooling the boys. They returned to Alaska in 1978 and shortly afterwards Stewart started Alaska Camera Exchange, a camera store, on Muldoon Rd. His wife Jean passed away in 1981 of cancer. In 1983 Stewart met Miriam Bates of Kodiak when she came into the store to buy a camera. They were married Nov. 8, 1992. He sold the store in 1987 and they traveled the US in a motor home before buying a home in Tucson, then Florida and finally in Cottonwood, Arizona but always owning a motor home and traveling when the mood hit him. Stewart loved the out doors from the time he was a young child and fished, hunted, hiked and camped for many years. He was a competitive shooter, running and organizing rifle matches in AZ for many years and coached his son Michael to a National Championship. He was an avid photographer and collector of old cameras starting at a young age. Stewart also had a collection of movie and film memorabilia that filled a room, and a collection fountain pens and Arizona and Alaskan art. He loved to read and had an extensive library of books that filled his home. Traveling was a love of his and he traveled many years throughout the US and made numerous friends along the way. His love of traveling was passed on to his children who have also traveled the state, country and world. Stewart lived life mainly on his terms, he had a strong and independent personality but he considered family to be of the utmost importance. He told his family he had no regrets on how he had lived his life. He is survived by his wife, Miriam Sterling of Cottowood, AZ; daughter and son-in-law, Dana and Norell Moore of Homer, AK; sons and daughters-in-laws Michael Sterling and Cheryl of Fairbanks, AK,; Stewart L. Sterling III and Cathey and James Sterling and Mary of Anchorage, AK; grandchildren Julie Yakis (Patrick) of Keizer, OR; David Moore of Anchorage, AK; sister, LouAnne Sassone (Gerry) of Antioch, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mr Sterling was preceded in death by his first wife Jean. Donations in his memory may be sent to Northern Arizona Hospice, 269 South Candy Lane, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 or to the Hospice of your choice. Published in The Arizona Republic on 1/11/2009