So sorry to hear of your fathers passing. He was the sweetest man and we had so many great memories when our families got together. My thought and prayers are with you.
Stewart N. Wilson
August 25, 1933 ~ April 18, 2026
Born in:
Boston, Massachusetts
Resided in:
Danvers, Massachusetts
Stewart N. Wilson, 93, of Danvers, died Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Penacook Place Nursing home in Haverhill. Stew, who grew up in Methuen, MA, graduated from Searles High School where he was a multi-sport athlete in football, baseball, and wrestling. Following graduation, he served in the US Army during the Korean conflict, where he was also a member of the US Army boxing team.
After completing his military service, Stew settled in Danvers in 1960 with his wife Kay, where they raised their four children and lived for the next 62 years.
After graduating from East Coast Aero Tech and becoming a licensed Airframe & Power-plant mechanic, Stew spent 30 years in the airline industry, working for Northeast and then Eastern Airlines until its closure. He finished his career in 1992 as a groundskeeper and maintenance mechanic for the Commonwealth of Mass at Danvers State Hospital, participating in the task of shutting down the 77-acre campus.
During the 1960s and 70s, Stew held a multi-engine instrument rated private pilot’s license and worked part-time at Robbins Airport in Danvers. One of the perks: use of the company’s fleet of single & twin engine 2-8 seat airplanes, which Stew used to visit relatives in Barre, MA, and his father’s beach house in Biddeford Pool, ME, where in winter he’d use the secluded beach as a runway at low tide.
Stew was keenly interested in current events and politics, reading several newspapers a day. He remained athletically active throughout his life, engaging his children in the same. This included daily exercise routines, building backyard skating rinks every winter, ski trips, and rounds of golf. Most notably, however, were trips to the beach to ride the waves—the bigger, the better. From Biddeford Pool, Maine, where he spent his summers growing up, to Salisbury Beach where as a young man, he lived like you’re supposed to—throwing caution to the wind, seizing the day, running with reckless abandon, happy to be alive.
Stew had a deep love for family and friends. His common phrase –”let me know if you need a hand” – was never just rhetoric. He was the first guy on his feet, whatever the situation — the guy you could count on. Stew approached life in a measured and thoughtful manner. He was a strong willed man, of quiet strength, who carried himself with respect, decency and had a deep sense of what honor meant. That is the legacy Stew Wilson leaves.
In his later years, Stewie was known for his mastery of “the Irish exit” – oftentimes silently slipping away at family gatherings to grab a quick nap. On a bright, crisp Saturday morning in April 2026, Stewie closed his eyes and silently slipped away– his final Irish exit – and in many ways, his way of lending a hand to those he leaves behind.
For now, we will deeply miss Stewie–a father, grandfather, son, brother, and a friend. Someone who made a difference in the lives of others. Someone whose life mattered.
Love you Dad. I’ll see you in the waves of Summer.
Stew is predeceased by Kathleen Wilson, his wife of 66 years, and his daughter Keri Wilson. He leaves behind his children Darlene (Vilasini) Wilson of Kneeland, California; Norman Wilson and his wife Barbara of Rockport, MA; and Valerie Rheingold and her husband Michael of Haverhill, MA. Grandchildren Nissa, Gerard, and Kimberly. Great-grandchildren Serena, Meera, Phoenix, Coleby, and Harry.
At Stew’s request, funeral services are private. Arrangements are by C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers Square. In lieu of flowers donations in Stew’s memory may be made to the ASPCA at https://www.aspca.org. To share an expression of sympathy with Stew’s family, please visit www.LyonsFuneral.com.
View current weather.
Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Stewart N. Wilson 's name.
ASPCA
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
