Stewart Albert Newblatt lived a life filled to the brim with love, family, friendship, fun, adventure, accomplishment, and service.
He died peacefully with family around him on December 27, 2022, four days after his 95th birthday.
The love of his life was Flora, to whom he was married for 58 years.
Stewart was born on December 23, 1927, in Detroit to Fanny and Robert Newblatt. His mother had immigrated from Russia during the revolution with her daughter, Anita, who was 10 years old at Stewart’s birth. Harry was Stewart’s brother who was two years older. The family was Jewish, and Judaism was important to Stewart all of his life. He was a proud bar mitzvah boy, as were all three of his sons.
The family moved to Flint to open a restaurant downtown. Stewart was a child during the Great Depression and the Sit-Down Strike. He attended Millersburg Military Institute in Kentucky during World War II. After graduating, he attended the University of Michigan for one year before enlisting in the Army. At the age of 19, he served as a special agent in the Philippines, conducting intelligence operations and criminal investigations. After being honorably discharged, he returned to Michigan where he finished his undergraduate degree on the GI Bill. He went straight to law school, where he finished in two years, graduating second in his class in 1952.
Stewart came back to Flint to begin his law career. He built a general practice, which included representing unions – some of which were involved in the Sit-Down Strike. When few other lawyers would do so, he represented several individuals who were subpoenaed to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee when it came to Flint.
Stewart was appointed to the circuit bench in 1962 at the age of 33, which made him the youngest circuit judge in Michigan’s history at the time. He served for eight years before resigning in 1970 to return to private practice.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the federal bench. He was known as smart, fair and no nonsense, but also as down to earth and good humored. He was adored by everyone in the courthouse. He presided over several notable cases too numerous to list. In one, he ordered Genesee County to build a new jail after finding constitutional violations due to overcrowding and other issues. In another, he struck down Michigan’s new anti-pornography statute as unconstitutionally vague. He participated in judicial panels in 1982 and 1992 determining legislative redistricting, which upheld the principle of one-person, one-vote.
However, he was most proud of his accomplishments in the area of Civil Rights. In Spencer v Flint Memorial Park, Stewart struck down the restrictive agreement of a cemetery association which denied the right of a plot owner to bury a non-Caucasian body. He wrote: “It seems highly grotesque to spend such time and legal effort in considering the rights of dead soulless bodies when we have not as a society yet secured full rights for the living.” On appeal, the court merely noted that Stewart’s decision “leaves nothing further to be said,” and then reprinted his opinion in full.
Stewart’s portrait hangs in the two courtrooms in which he served: the federal courthouse and Courtroom No. 3 of the county courthouse. In Courtroom No. 3, his portrait overlooks his son David, who continues his father’s legacy of judicial service.
In 1965, Stewart reluctantly agreed to meet the sister of a friend of his best friend Bosco at a dinner party, saying, “What the hell, it’s not like I’m going to marry her.” He and Flora Sandweiss were married a month later. Stewart and Flora were truly soulmates who did everything together. They have three sons: David (Melanie), Robert and Joshua (Tricia). He was a beloved Zeyde to eight grandchildren: Marissa (Sachin), Jaren, Jonah (Anna), Jacob, Stewart Adam, Jordan, Katyjane and Addison.
Stewart’s family was constantly amazed at his warm, loving, happy and thoughtful nature. He frequently expressed gratitude for his happy life, which he largely attributed to Flora. How could they be so lucky to have a Zeyde such as this?
Stewart and Flora were blessed with many wonderful years of retirement in their home in Glen Arbor, which was always filled with kids and grandkids. He loved riding his recumbent bike, walking, coffee, farting, making friends wherever he went, playing computer solitaire, traveling with Flora and generally being a mensch. And last but not least, Zeyde loved his dog, Doogie.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Flint Jewish Federation and the ACLU of Michigan.
Arrangements entrusted to the Lewis E. Wint & Son Funeral Home, Clarkston.
Online guestbook wintfuneralhome.com.