David Stewart, 59, of 805 West Henley Street, Olean, NY passed away on Thursday, March 14, 2024.  

Born at WCA Hospital in Jamestown, New York, on May 14, 1964, he was the son of the late Barbara Jeanne Mattern and Roger Francis Stewart.  David attended Allegany Central School in Allegany, New York, and, with the exception of a brief residency in Rochester, New York, remained a life-long resident of the Olean area.   Hardworking and dedicated, he was most recently employed, for over a decade, by A-1 Rent-All & Sales in Olean. 

David developed an interest in mechanics at an early age, his curiosity, creative thinking, and attention to detail fostering an uncanny ability to fabricate, assemble, diagnose, and effectively repair anything with a motor or engine.  Throughout his life, David worked on hundreds of vehicles, finding employment at Monro Auto Service and Tire Center in Olean for many years.  In addition, he also worked for various service centers during his career and maintained his own garage, frequently assisting friends and family with automotive issues that could not be resolved elsewhere.  His mind was truly one of a kind.  Often building machines completely from scratch, David loved tinkering in his shop during his spare time and took tremendous pleasure in watching his own designs and creations, including street-legal vehicles that he built from the ground up, come to fruition.  Never content to settle for the status quo, he thought outside of the box, pushed boundaries, and created the impossible from scraps.  As anyone who ever rode in one of David’s cars knows, he navigated life much the same way he handled a vehicle – with unequivocal confidence, abandon, and exhilaration! 

Quick with a smile, he had a permanent twinkle in his eye, testament to his mischievous, fun-loving nature.  While David had no shortage of panache, he was also a down-to-earth straight shooter who valued truth, honesty, and loyalty.  He could talk to anyone about anything and made friends wherever he went.  Always willing to lend a hand to those around him, he had a genuine heart and gave of himself completely and without reservation.  Devoted to his family, David’s unparalleled joie de vivre was infectious and inspiring, and he will be deeply missed.

In addition to his wife of twenty-one years, Patricia “Patty” Stewart, David is survived by four step-children, Eric, Jason, Amy, Wichert and Amanda Peters, all of Olean; his beloved granddaughter, Morgan Wichert of Olean; and three sisters, Carol “Jan” (Gregg) Blakeslee of Cary, North Carolina, Annette (Ellis) Morrison of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Kim McCullough of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Memorial donations would be gratefully received by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) or the SPCA in Cattaraugus County, 2944 Route 16 in Olean (spcacattco.org).

Services will be held at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are complete and under the direction of the Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home, Inc., 646 E. State St., Olean. Online condolences may be made at www.letromcintoshspinkfuneralhome.com