William C. “Bill” Stewart passed away suddenly on June 26, 2025. The son of Orrie and Polly
Stewart, he was born in the parlor of his grandfather’s farm in Ramseytown, PA, on January 1,
1940, the first baby in Jefferson County that year. He grew up in Kittanning, PA, where his
parents opened a meat market. At the age of 11, he began his first career as a butcher.
After graduating from Kittanning High School, he earned his degree in mechanical engineering
from Grove City College in 1961. He was hired by Pittsburgh Plate Glass in Ford City in the
warehouse and shipping departments. In 1967, he was one of eight department heads from
across the country chosen to build and open a new glass plant in Meadville, PA.
In 1970, he moved his family to Butler, PA, to join his father-in-law’s telecommunications
business. For the next 30 years, he helped build Armstrong Utilities into a nationally known
Cable TV and Internet company. Well-known throughout the industry, he served on numerous
boards and committees, including a tenure as President of the Pennsylvania Cable Television
Association.
His real strength was his ability to connect with people. He was a great judge of character;
many employees he hired spent their entire careers with Armstrong. He was adept at dealing
with employees and customers, creating the foundation that Armstrong’s servant leadership is
built on today. Whether it was an irate customer, a difficult employee, or a US Senator, Bill was
able to navigate the correct path of communication because he genuinely cared about them
and their concerns.
Throughout his life, he strived to uplift his community, whether it was constructing a new Little
League field, serving on the redevelopment authority, or building houses with Habitat for
Humanity. His most recent passion was the school backpack program, where he helped ensure
that local kids had something to eat every day.
He loved to golf and was a member of the Butler Country Club for almost 50 years. He and his
late brother Denny were a great team and won many tournaments in the area.
He was an excellent athlete and played many sports, but his passion for baseball was evident
throughout his life. He played high school and Legion ball and even had a tryout with the
Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a star player for the Grove City College team in the late 50s and early
60s. Recently, it was announced that their new baseball stadium would be named Stewart Field
in his honor. He loved the Pirates and would opine on the merits of any given player at any
given time. He had special enmity for relief pitchers who couldn’t throw strikes and hitters who
watched strike three with their bats on their shoulders.
For many years, he and a small group of friends took a baseball trip to enjoy new stadiums in
different cities. Over the years, Bill took in games at 13 different MLB ballparks (and sampled 13 different stadium hot dogs).
A highlight of his week was Saturday morning coffee, which started years ago at Cummings
Coffee on Main Street and later moved outdoors during the pandemic. Most recently, the
group met regularly on his back porch, where no topic went uncovered and many of the world’s
problems were solved.
Bill was an avid craftsman with a fantastic workshop in his garage, filled with every tool
imaginable. If one of his grandchildren needed something, he could fabricate or fix it. For a
period, he became very interested in converting antique TV sets into bars.
In 1956, while still in high school, he and his girlfriend, Gay Sedwick, snuck away to West
Virginia and got married. This marked the beginning of a union that lasted for 66 years, until her
death in 2022.
He is survived by his two children and their spouses; Jud and his wife Michelle Stewart and
Paula and her husband Mark Brestensky, all of Butler; his five grandchildren: Jud Michael and
his wife Megan Stewart, Olivia Stewart, Dr. Laura Brestensky and her husband Joe Link, Emma
and her husband Matt Bromley, and Mark Brestensky; his best friend Kate Ellwood; his sister-in-
law Karen Stewart of Kittanning and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. His two brothers,
Orrie Stewart, Jr., and Dennis Stewart, preceded him in death.
He will be missed by many, including the Baseball Guys, the Coffee Boys, the Cummings Crew
(better known as the League of Extraordinary Loitering Gentlemen), the Backpack Gang, the
Jacks, the Burger Hut Group, his Armstrong Family, and really, anyone who had the chance to
know him.
Arrangements are private. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for July 12, 2025, at the Succop
Theater on the Butler County Community College campus, beginning at 11:00 AM. Information
can be found on the Thompson Miller Funeral Home webpage. If you plan to attend, please be
sure to wear a T-shirt with a funny saying. He loved those!
Donations can be made in his honor to the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center, 103 Bonnie
Drive, Butler, PA 16002, or the Butler Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation (designate your
donation for the backpack program), 110 Campus Lane, Butler, PA 16001.
All who knew Bill are encouraged to share memories and upload photos to his unique remembrance page at www.thompson-miller.com