JANUARY 12 • 2022 | 55

S

tewart Albert 
Newblatt, 95, of 
Clarkston, died 
peacefully with family 
around him on Dec. 27, 
2022, four days after his 
birthday.
He lived a life filled to 
the brim with love, family, 
friendship, fun, adventure, 
accomplishment and 
service. The love of his life 
was Flora, to whom he was 
married for 58 years. 
Stewart was born on 
Dec. 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, Stewart’s 
brother was two years older. 
The family was Jewish, and 
Judaism was important to 
Stewart all 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 on 
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 
a no-nonsense person but 
was also down-to-earth 
and good humored. He was 
adored by everyone in the 
courthouse. He presided 
over several notable cases. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
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, making 
friends wherever he went, 
playing computer solitaire, 
traveling with Flora and 
generally being a mensch.
They have three sons, 
David (Melanie), Robert 
and Joshua (Tricia). He was 
a beloved “Zaydie” to eight 
grandchildren, Marissa 
(Sachin), Jaren, Jonah 
(Anna), Jacob, Stewart 
Adam, Jordan, Katyjane 
and Addison. How could 
they be so lucky to have 
such a zaydie? Last but not 
least, Zaydie loved his dog, 
Doogie. 
Contributions may be 
made to the Flint Jewish 
Federation or the ACLU of 
Michigan. Arrangements 
were entrusted to the Lewis 
E. Wint & Son Funeral 
Home, Clarkston. Leave 
a memory or condolence 
on the online guestbook at 
wintfuneralhome.com. 

A Great Legal Presence

Stewart Newblatt

