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