Each year, more than half a million sandhill cranes converge upon one 80 mile stretch of land along Nebraska’s North Platte River. Another important stop for the cranes during their travels lies nestled along the banks of the bosque near New Mexico’s Rio Grande River. The cranes’ migration is a magnificent spectacle defined by a remarkable flight path and gentle wonder. In some cultures, cranes are referred to as the bird of happiness, believed to carry souls to paradise on their wings. As we remember our beloved husband, dad, brother and friend, we take comfort raising our hearts and eyes to a clear blue sky knowing that on the wings of a crane that will soon fly this committed path between Nebraska and New Mexico, so too shall his soul fly.

Take flight!

Bryan was born on April 28, 1957 in Gothenburg, Nebraska, only a short ways from the North Platte River and his family’s farms. He grew up in Omaha, and attended Burke High School and later the University of Nebraska in Lincoln - and it was during these years he would meet and marry the love of his life, Lisa and earn his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Bryan and Lisa then took a leap of faith and traveled to Gabon, West Africa where Bryan started his first job as a mechanical engineer, working on oil rigs for Schlumberger. Bryan loved his time in Gabon, and developed a deep respect for the people in the villages of Gabon. Unlike many of the expats living along the coast, Bryan was known to travel to into the villages offering his practical skills to help local residents in any way he could - acts of kindness that transcended language and cultural barriers, and memories that he treasured for his lifetime. After returning to the United States, Bryan and Lisa resided in Alexandria, Virginia where they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Jenna. Soon after, the family moved to New Mexico where Bryan accepted a position with Los Alamos Technical Associates, and later Northrop Grumman.

During his thirty-year career at Northrop Grumman, Bryan was an accomplished senior manager, responsible for a team of 30 engineers, scientists, technicians and support staff investigating applied research topics in pulsed power and high-power microwave applications, and electromagnetic modeling and predictions for E3 attack threats to electrical grids. He also served as the systems engineer and chief engineer for numerous DNA, DTRA, Air Force and Navy programs, including the B-52 thermal radiation test and predictions validation program, an unconventional nuclear warfare defense project, the design and implementation of initial nuclear radiation hardening for all Army ground combat vehicle RF communication systems, the design and HEMP/EMP hardening implementation of the STRATCOM/CERDEC Multi-Role Tactical Common Data Link system - a strategic ground to air, air-to-air, air-to-satellite, ground-to-satellite, and ground to ground communication system deployed worldwide, and the design and implementation of the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System - a warfighter centric battle command system. He was the principle engineer for the U.S. Air Force Airborne Optics Program, and had fond memories with his ARGUS Amoeba of the mechanical design and fabrication and integration of experimental optics systems onto the aircraft, including cameras, beam splitters, lasers and telescopic tracking.

The project he was most proud of, however, occurred in the late eighties, when he was “on assignment” to Ford Motor Company as an on-site program manager for a special task force dedicated to launching all 1990 vehicle models with air bags for the first time in the company’s history. The project involved not only purchasing, engineering, and producing all of the components for air bag assembly, but also managing the construction and equipment installation and start up of new production facilities at three supplier locations. Bryan’s expertise in explosives manufacturing led to critical propellant supplier changes to reduce fire and safety risk (processes which are still in place today) and ensure that not one Ford or Cadillac on the 1990 production line was delayed in production to market. The success of the airbag propellant launch, and specifically Bryan’s contributions to the project, were personally recognized by the President of Ford Motor Company in a letter of accommodation sent directly to Bryan’s home in Tijeras, New Mexico where he described the way Bryan “worked your way through the fires and other distractions that affected both companies, and with the skills you employed in dealing with their automation problems.”

Bryan’s passion for mechanical engineering formed the basis of a brilliant career, and we are grateful for his many contributions to the profession that yielded important protections for our nation’s servicemembers and civilians.

A Gentle Soul

Bryan was a devoted husband and father, and had immense pride in caring for his girls, even when their tardiness resulted in the Stewart family “getting out of the house like a herd of turtles.” He could design and construct anything, and spent his spare time woodworking, tinkering and crafting picnic tables, swing sets, tree houses, a two-story pole barn, and many creative bird houses for the backyard. Bryan shared a love of aviation with his father, Rex, and earned his pilot’s license. Bryan and Jenna learned how to snowboard together, and for many seasons enjoyed hitting the slopes every weekend and venturing into Colorado and Utah to shred the fresh powder. Bryan was an avid golfer and enjoyed nothing more than golfing with Lisa and perfecting his swing-which he claimed was U.B.E. (ugly but effective). He cherished his home in the East Mountains of Albuquerque and built a beautiful life for his family. He served as the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers New Mexico Chapter, and also served as the Secretary for the Coronado Thunderbirds. We will miss his blue eyes, hugs, and jokes, but mostly his stable and unending love and support.

Bryan is survived by his wife of nearly 41 years, Lisa (Walker) Stewart; his daughter Jenna (Stewart) Burke and son in-law J.J. Burke; his very good dog, Echo Stewart; his brother Brad Stewart and sister in-law Lisa (Johnson) Stewart; and his nephews and niece, Brad Stewart Jr., Benjamin Stewart, Nicholas Stewart, Corey Stewart, and Cassandra Stewart. He is preceded in death by his parents, Rex and Mary Ellen (Hoppe) Stewart.