William "Bill" Austin Stewart, 61, of Owatonna, died Friday, January 16, 2015 at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna. Bill was born August 29, 1953 in St. Paul, Minnesota to G. Kenneth and Ruth (Donovan) Stewart. In 1964, Bill's family moved to Owatonna where he attended St. Mary's. He attended his first year of high school at St. Thomas Academy before returning to OHS. After graduating in 1972, he attended the College of St. Thomas. He began his career in lumber working for his brother George as a wholesaler. Later, he started Rush Creek Lumber with his partner, Jim Steinlicht, whom he worked with for more than 25 years. Bill was united in marriage to Debra Pecore on June 24, 1978 in Owatonna, and the couple made their home in St. Paul before moving to Owatonna in 1981. Deb and Bill had 2 sons whom he deeply loved and unconditionally supported through their successes as well as their troubles. Bill was an avid hockey fan and was very involved with the hockey community in Owatonna, including at the youth, high school, and junior A levels. He was a long-time member of the Owatonna Country Club and enjoyed golfing with a great group of friends while he pursued that elusive hole-in-one. He also had a passion for boating and skiing and spent time every summer in Alexandria with family and friends. Bill is survived by his wife, Deb Stewart of Owatonna, and two sons, Robert Stewart of Minneapolis and Brian Stewart of Burnsville. He is also survived by his siblings, George (Kaky) Stewart of Mendota Heights, Dick (Patti) Stewart of Alexandria, Kate Stewart of Minneapolis, Pat (Dennis) Winkel of Kalispell, MT, Ruth Candy (David) Tripp of Minneapolis, his father- and mother-in-law, Bob and Ev Pecore of Owatonna,16 nieces and nephews, 18 great nieces and nephews, two aunts, and hundreds of cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Margaret Peggy Chisholm. Visitation will be at Michaelson Funeral Home on Friday January 23, 2015 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM and at Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Funeral services will be held Saturday January 24, 2015 at 10:30 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church with Reverend Todd Buegler officiating. Interment will be at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Owatonna on Monday January 26, 2015. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Homestead Hospice House, or EPES-AHA, a non-profit community-based health organization founded by a close friend of Bill and Deb's (www.actionforhealth.org). Visitation: 01/23/2015 16:00 01/23/2015 20:00 Service: And one hour prior to the service at the church 01/24/2015 10:30