Cheviot head dies suddenly

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 2

Cheviot head dies suddenly

The chairman of the Cheviot County Council. Mr Gordon Stewart, died suddenly in Cheviot this week. He was aged 53. '

Mr Stewart, who farmed in the Cheviot district for 13 years, was first elected to the council in November 1971. He served on various committees and was chairman of the machinery committee.

Mr Stewart was elected deputy chairman in November, 1979, and was elected chairman in November, 1980. He was a member of the Canterbury United Council. He began his working career in a grocery at Morrinsville. But, with the building boom after World War IL he turned his hand to carpentry, which soon became a thriving business. Mr Stewart bought a truck for the business, but later converted it to a stock truck. The stock truck “worked itself” into a business called

Stewart Haulage. which eventually ran five very heavy trucks and trailer’s from a base at Tahuna, near Morrinsville. When Mr Stewart's aunt died 13 years ago at Cheviot he moved to North Canterbury to farm the Stewart property. He increased its carrying capacity of both sheep and cattle. Mr Stewart spent long hours working for the Cheviot community. He was president of the Cheviot Golf Club at the time of his death, after a long association with the club. He was also a competent pilot and owned his own aircraft. Mr Stewart’s funeral service was held in the Cheviot Area School hall. More than 350 people attended the service which was led by the Rev. A. J. Crawford, who described Mr Stewart’s death as tragic. •

“He had so much to offer to both his fajnily and the community,” he said.