Stewart "Stu" Allen Pedersen

Stewart (Stu) Allen Pedersen passed away on Sunday, October 13th, 2024 at his home in Blind Bay.  He was born in Alberta in 1941.  The youngest of 5 children, Stu spent his formative years in southern Alberta and while in high school he also worked on the railroad during the summer months. After high school Stu began training as a psychiatric nurse but realized this wasn’t for him and went to work in construction.  The trades didn’t last long for Stu as he soon thereafter began a career as a lending officer with Household Finance and it was here that he met the love of his life Erla Pedersen (nee: Shannon).  Stu and Erla began 60 years of marriage in March of 1964.  They had four children: Stewart “Jimmy”, Janice (Blaine), Michael and Zoe. They also enjoyed the company of their five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  In October 1970 Stu began his career with the Bank of Montreal where he later worked as a commercial lending manager before his retirement in June 1997.  Stu’s career took them to Edmonton, Cranbrook, Grand Forks, Williams Lake and Osoyoos. After enjoying a few years of retirement in Osoyoos they decided to settle in Blind Bay.  

Stu loved travelling in the motorhome with Erla and it was rare that he ventured on a road trip without her at his side.  Over the years they drove most of the highways in western Canada but they also travelled north to Alaska and south to Arizona.  Arizona turned out to be a favourite as they spent 14 winters there taking in the warmth of the sun while meeting with friends and playing rounds of golf to pass the time. 

Stu cared about immediate and extended family alike. He enjoyed staying in touch through personal visits and telephone conversations.  He enjoyed attending the sporting events of his grandchildren and, while at these venues, always made time for a chat.  During his retirement years he liked to cook the evening meal for anyone who was around.  He enjoyed making a tasty roast, a casserole of some kind or a feast of slow cooked ribs.  For many of us the pre meal treat was Stu’s famous devilled eggs. 

Stu’s retirement time included daily walks and building amazing stools or side-tables out of wood scraps he acquired through his own projects or had been discarded by others.  Many of his nearly 200 stools are in homes throughout Canada but the odd one may very well be in friend’s houses beyond the borders.  He took pride in their functionality but never took one dollar in return as these were a gift from him to the person who could use them.  Many immediate family members have more than one of these treasures that allows for comfort while putting on shoes, a seat at the table or a place to hold a drink, magazine or lamp. 

Stu loved to read or listen to the news whether it be about local or worldly affairs.  He cared about events and how it affected the people involved.  He loved to stay up to date on farming methods and the costs associated to that industry.  His life wasn’t about farming but knew random facts about agriculture, livestock, fruit growers and wineries.  Stu was knowledgeable about building costs, property tax breakdowns and how much it cost per mile, yes per mile, to drive down the highway.   He was a mindful spender but not a price haggler.  He was of the mindset that things cost what they did but he knew a great sale when he saw one. 

Stu was a numbers guy but would also often recall and/tell facts about random things in life that most of us had already forgotten about or didn’t know in the first place.  He could strike up a casual conversation about anything with acquaintances or complete strangers alike but these, sometimes short interludes, often had factual undertones related to their momentary encounter.  He would often ask the person a question that would expand his own knowledge about the situation or something the person was associated to. He would lend others a hand where his attendance would always benefit the recipient. Stu was often the satellite dish setup guy for those with Shaw (Star Choice) television subscribers.  He always had a stand, spare dish or cable connector and could get you the clearest signal from the most unfavourable location so you could soon be watching your favourite flick, news station or sporting event.  He loved quoting one-liners from Johnny Carson, Jay Lenno or Jimmy Fallon but wasn’t a watcher of sitcoms or movies. He instead enjoyed fact based stories being told on shows like Dateline or 48 Hours.  Stu was fan of both the CFL and NFL while also watching the odd curling bonspiel, baseball game or hockey matchup.  He wasn’t one to get overly excited or disappointed at a win or a loss but instead appreciated a great play or commented about the athleticism on display.  

He could recall people’s names at the drop of a dime and then challenge your own memory by stating, “Do you remember…?”   And there you were, caught in a mind teaser that left you wondering how it was that Stu remembered that moment in time.  He was always interested in what people did for a living not because he compared them to another but rather because he was just simply interested in what they did or how they did it.  The conversational situation wasn’t about Stu but rather about the accomplishment(s) of the person he was engaged with.  He never spoke ill will of others or about the situation others might be in but would once again, where appropriately associated, tie it to a fact of the circumstance. 

Stu, we will most certainly miss your mindful recollections and factual conversations but these personal interactions of our past will live on in our memories of you.  Most of all, we will miss your casual conversational visits and your mindful presence. 

There will not be a public service.