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George N. "Joe" Stewart III

Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | November 03, 2025

George Neil Stewart III, more widely known as “Joe” or “Papa Joe” to those who loved him, and to whom the descriptor, “The Man, The Myth, The Legend,” unequivocally applied, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 2, 2025. He was surrounded, during his last days, by his loving family and close friends, especially his devoted wife, Debbie, who rarely left his side. Joe was the son of the late George N. Stewart II and Patricia Regan Stewart. He was born on November 15, 1936, in Chicago, IL, but spent his formative years in Manor, PA where he and twin sister, Patricia Johnson (Robert) were the oldest of 6 siblings, including Judith Nedley (the late Jerry), the late David Stewart (the late Helga), Daniel Stewart (Donna) and Michael Stewart (Karen). Joe’s childhood was full of great legend, lore, and utter amazement to all who lived it or have heard the tales, particularly the younger generations of the Stewart Clan.

Joe excelled academically and athletically at Irwin High School where he graduated with the Class of 1955. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and remained a loyal Panthers fan to the dismay of several of his children who attended Penn State. Along with the late Elaine Teck Stewart, Joe raised his 6 children in Irwin, including George N. Stewart, IV (Nancy), Michelle S. Baker (Martin), Christopher J. Stewart (Barbara), Daniel M. Stewart (Marty), Colleen Stewart-Tretter, Jim Tretter, and the late Lisa S. Black (Pete), who, sadly, predeceased him by three months.

Joe married his beloved Deborah J. “Debbie” (Abbatangelo) Stewart in 2005 and, in the ensuing years, enjoyed the embrace of Debbie’s children, Holly Thurman (Tim) and David Christian (Laurie), who were welcoming of him and his boisterous family.

Papa Joe was particularly close to his 17 grandchildren (Benjamin, George V, Claire, Colin, Madison, Evan, Jesse, Jacob, Daniel, Nicholas, Joseph, Paul, Cooper, Case, Timothy, Frances and Sydney) and his 4 step-grandchildren (Brooke, Lily, Connor, and Nico), all 21 of whom he delighted with astonishing life stories, Boxing Day celebrations, and impromptu calls or visits, as well as his 16 (and counting) great-grandchildren, the newest of whom he greeted to the Stewart Clan just weeks ago. In addition to his wife, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, Joe is survived by many nieces, nephews and dear friends. While effortlessly garnering the adoration of his family, Joe had the undeniable knack for making friends wherever he went.

He was also quite proud of his Scottish heritage, even convincing Debbie to be married with full Highland attire, complete with bagpipes. Deb similarly introduced Joe to her proud Italian traditions and exceptional cooking, all of which he thoroughly enjoyed over the years.

Joe spent much of his earlier career as a “salesman extraordinaire” in the school yearbook and class ring industry, and then in commercial graphic sales. Most recently he worked as a successful roofing estimator and crew coordinator and for the Maloy-Schleifer Funeral Home in Duquesne assisting with funerals and “co-piloting” the hearse.

Joe was a competitive athlete in his youth, enjoying wrestling, basketball and baseball. He later embraced the 1970’s tennis craze, leading to successful competition on many USTA teams. As talented as he was, Joe’s true calling and greatest impact was upon the hundreds of kids he coached spanning decades, starting with the Irwin PeeWee Basketball and Baseball leagues of the 1970’s into the 2000’s when he served as an assistant tennis coach at Norwin High School and, finally, Greensburg Salem High School. Joe’s guidance of young people extended to several who became “family” in the Stewart household. Joe’s competitive fire was not limited to sports. He enjoyed playing cards, particularly Hearts, Spades, Euchre and Pinochle, and amazed many with his ability to “communicate telepathically” to his partners, which, eventually, became the subject of suspicion from his opponents, specifically his children and grandchildren.

Finally, Joe held his Catholic faith dearly. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Irwin for many decades. In later years, he was active at Christ the Light of the World Parish in Duquesne and, most recently, at St. Michael’s Church of Saints Joachim and Anne Parish near his home in Elizabeth.

The Stewart Family would like to thank the medical teams at the UPMC Mercy Neuro-Trauma Care Units and UPMC Family Hospice, all of whom so kindly and professionally cared for Joe, his family, and friends in his unexpected final days.

Family and friends will be received from 3-8 p.m., on Friday, November 7, 2025, at the MALOY-SCHLEIFER FUNERAL HOME, INC., 915 KENNEDY AVE., DUQUESNE, 15110, 412-466-3300, WILLIAM B. SCHLEIFER, SUPERVISOR, WILLIAM BRIAN SCHLEIFER AND ALLAN J. WEBER, FUNERAL DIRECTORS. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Michael’s Church of Saints Joachim and Anne Parish, Elizabeth, with Rev. Thomas Burke officiating, assisted by Rev. Thomas Lewandowski and Rev. Thomas Dansak. Everyone should meet at Church. The Funeral will also be live streamed on the Funeral Home website: www.maloy-schleiferfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Saints Joachim and Anne Parish, 101 McLay Dr., Elizabeth, PA 15037, or to the Oral Cancer Foundation (http://oralcancerfoundation.org), 2044 Placate de Quedo, Santa Fe, NM 87505, in memory of his beloved daughter, Lisa Black.

Originally published November 03, 2025.

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