Joe Fancher Stewart

LTC (retired) Joe Fancher Stewart, 93, of Fletcher, Oklahoma, passed away at his home on March 10, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and furbabies.

Born on November 1, 1932, in Harriman, Tennessee, to Clarence K. and Opal Louise (Fancher) Stewart, Joe grew up in Chattanooga and graduated from high school there. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Tennessee before enlisting in the United States Army in February 1955. His service brought him to Lawton and Fort Sill, where he met the love of his life, Mary Carroll Henderson. They married on September 20, 1957, at the Little Chapel in Lawton, and two months later began their life together in Italy. Joe also served in Korea and Vietnam, earning numerous awards and medals during his distinguished military career. He retired from the Army in April 1975.

After his military service, Joe continued his education, earning a Master’s Degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Divinity from Phillips Graduate Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Southern Methodist University. He was ordained in the Christian Church and served congregations in Fletcher, Apache, Edmond, and Lawton. A dedicated counselor, he became a licensed Professional Counselor, licensed Marital and Family Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Master Addictions Counselor. He served as Director of Counseling for church counseling centers in Edmond and Lawton and taught at the FAA Management Training School at Cameron University before retiring from active clergy in 1996. He was a longtime, faithful member of Elgin Methodist Church.

Joe is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mary Carroll Stewart, of the home; his son and daughter-in-law, Joe Michael and Lisa Stewart of Rolla, Missouri; his daughters, Nancy Stewart Bird of Oklahoma City, Debra Stewart Leigh and husband Don of Oklahoma City, and Mary K. Hughes of Mineral, Virginia; his grandchildren, Christopher Stewart, Preston Bird, Kelsey Bird, Steven Hughes, Bobby Hughes and wife Ashleigh, and David Hughes; and his great-grandchildren, Skylynn Wood and Stevi Wood. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother C.K. Stewart Jr., his sisters Mary Elizabeth Claiborne and Louise Lancaster, and many beloved furbabies.