Joseph David Stewart of Oak Bluffs died Dec. 23, surrounded by his wife and daughters at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital after battling lung cancer. He was 63.

He was the husband of Donna-Lee Denning Stewart for 41 years. He was the son of Gordon and Cecilia Vespa Stewart. He was born in Hartford, Conn., on Dec. 18, 1944. He grew up in East Hartford and attended the East Hartford High School.

Joe originally worked painting many buildings for the West Hartford school system and started his own business in 1979.

Joe attended the Isabel O’Neil Studio Workshop for the Art of the Painted Finish in New York city. The school is credited with bringing the time-honored techniques of the masters of the painted finish into the 20th century. Unique finishes that ranged from faux marble and faux bois to casein and trompe l’oeil. This education afforded him the opportunity to have his painted furniture work displayed in Sotheby’s catalogues and sold at auctions in the 1990s.

He took pride and pleasure in finding flea market furniture pieces, refurbishing them to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

His housepainting company contracted with the Key West school system to paint the school buildings, allowing Joe and Donna to relocate to Key West, Fla., for several years. This also gave him time to concentrate on gold-leaf, gilding and glazing techniques.

But Joe found life far from being just business. He restored a pontoon boat for family picnics aboard her while snorkeling and swimming in the waters off Looe Key in the lower keys of Florida.

During the summer months, Joe and Donna traveled to the Vineyard. Once on the Island, it was obvious this is where they wanted to live the rest of their lives and eventually helped both daughters move here from Connecticut.

Joe was a wonderful, easygoing, lovable kind of a guy who shared his incredible zest for life with his family to whom he was completely devoted and loved very much. His granddaughter was the highlight of his life. He will be dearly missed.

Survivors include his wife, Donna-Lee Stewart; his two daughters, Kelli-Ann Stewart and her partner Louis Smith, and Kathleen Stewart Brasefield and her husband Marc; his granddaughter, Ashley Jordan Brasefield and a step-granddaughter, Taylor Jane Brasefield; three sisters, Marie Thompson and her husband Allen, Teresa Szeluga and her husband Ray, and Ersilla Brazalovich; many nephews and nieces; his mother-in-law, Lorraine A. Denning; his sisters-in-law, Kathleen Dyer  and her husband Ted Torrey and Terri-Ann Breton; and his brothers-in-law, Dan Denning and his wife, Jo-Ann and Ken Denning and his wife, Diana, as well asmany more nieces andnephews, all of whom were likehis own family. 

His memorial funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008 in St. Isaac Jogues Church (where Joe and Donna were married Jan. 7, 1967) 1 Community Street, East Hartford, Conn., at 11 a.m. Donations may be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, or to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, P.O. Box 1477, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Oak Bluffs.