Isaac “Ike” Steward, II was born December 28, 1927 and passed away on August 23, 2021 with his family at his bedside.

He was the fourth of nine children born to Thomas Earl and Elizabeth Rose Steward in Trenton, NJ.  He is survived by the love of his life, Patricia Tohill Steward, with whom he shared 64 years of marriage; sons, Scott (Wendy) of Virginia Beach and Rob (Jackie) of Asheville, NC; six grandchildren: Kevin (Caitlin), Ricky, William, Michael, Ellie and Grace; sisters, Dawn Marie and Sue; and many prized nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by their son, Michael Jon.

In 1945, he graduated from Trenton Central High School, and commenced his fulltime employment at Brauninger News Company, a distributor of newspapers and magazines, often working 6-7 days per week.  He embodied the American dream and through hard work and dedication he worked his way to the top of his profession.  Starting as a part time newspaper delivery boy during high school, he advanced in the company and became a partner in the company in 1965, and when they expanded, he became CEO of Anthracite News company of Scranton and Wilkes Barra, PA. He was known for his honesty and fairness in his business.   He retired in 1992 after being celebrated for being with the same company for 50 years. He was a member of the Trenton Kiwanis Club and Trenton Salvation Army.

Ike and Pat moved to Virginia Beach in 1996 to have a more active role in the lives of their grandchildren which kept them young. He became an active member of Providence Presbyterian Church and served as an elder, and also participated on the count team and church financial matters, care team, men’s club, and reading program.  Ike enjoyed travel with his family and had many memorable shared vacations through the years. He was incredibly proud of his family. He had actively supported his children and grandchildren through countless soccer games and other sporting and extracurricular events. He enjoyed reading, working in his yard, get-togethers with the family and friends, and especially time spent with Pat. Among family he was known for kindness.  Although he never had the opportunity of college, he emphasized the importance of education for his family and provided for college for his children and grandchildren. He was a great husband, father and grandfather. He was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.

He was a good, gentle man.

Due to the covid pandemic, there will not be a public memorial service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity that was important to him, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).