John Mark Stewart,

On January 19, 2021, John Mark Stewart Jr., age 76, went peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior at his home in Ocean Springs with his beloved family by his side. He fought a long, hard battle with cancer for over two years after being in remission for ten. John was born in Brookhaven, MS. on Christmas Day 1944. He was raised on a dairy farm in Columbia, MS before moving to Ocean Springs in 1958. He graduated from Ocean Springs High School in 1962. John was a very hard working man who loved his family; a true outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing with his children and grandchildren. John worked from a very young age helping his father on the farm and building houses. He loved being on the water and proudly owned/operated the commercial fishing boats, the Young Velma, the Toni Diane, and the Stacey Carol. He maintained the boats himself, sewed his own shrimping nets, and crafted his own trawl boards. Known as a master fisherman, he fished the gulf waters for over 40 years, starting with his father when he was only 14. More recently, he retired from Huntington-Ingalls where he worked as a pipe fitter, pipe tester, and millwright. Locals may remember when he and his father built a 70-foot shrimp boat, the Mr. John, in his father’s front yard. He was a perfectionist with his work and paid attention to every detail. He was a jack of all trades and could repair or build just about anything. He loved working with his hands. John was preceded in death by his parents, John Sr. and Myrle Blackwell Stewart. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Carolyn Parker Stewart, the love of his life; sons, Mark Stewart of Ocean Springs, MS and Michael Stewart of Houston, TX; his daughter, Stacey Taylor (John) of Ocean Springs; grandchildren, David Stewart, Wesley Taylor, and Jacey Taylor; sisters, Doris Franklin, Judy (James) Williams, and Dana Stewart; his brother-in-law, Robert “Ace” (Deborah) Parker all of Ocean Springs, MS; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. The family wishes to thank Dr. Clarkson and Dr. Washington at Ocean Springs Oncology, his transplant team at Houston Methodist Hospital and Hospice of Light in Ocean Springs. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in John’s memory (online donations can be made at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html). He faithfully donated money to St. Jude for over twenty years, as he loved children and wanted to help them live cancer free. His memory will always be carried in the hearts of those who loved him. Due to the pandemic, we ask all attendees to please wear a mask. A visitation will be from 12 noon to 1:00 pm with a service at 1:00 pm on Monday, January 25, 2021 all at St. Paul United Methodist Church, East Campus in Ocean Springs. Burial will follow at Crestlawn Memorial Park. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Ocean Springs is honored to serve the Stewart family.