Vance F. Stewart, Jr. January 29, 1939 - February 5, 2022 !Viva Geezer!
Vance F. Stewart, Jr. Obituary February 5, 2022
Vance F. Stewart, Jr. AKA “The Geezer,” of Burnsville,
Minnesota and Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico, passed away peacefully on February
5, 2022, in Mexico. He was a lanky, cowboy-booted, larger than life
character who was witty and found humor everywhere. He had a persistent “can
do” attitude, was a mentor and inspirational figure to many, and a legend on
the Mexican vintage rally racing circuit.
He came from humble beginnings on the remote prairie of
Lemmon, SD, born to Vance Stewart Sr. and Josie A. (Vatland) Stewart on January
29, 1939. He graduated Lemmon High School in 1957 and earned his
mechanical engineering degree from South Dakota Mines in 1962, where he was a
member of Triangle Fraternity. He married Margie Ray in 1962 and they
went to France where he served 3 years in the U.S. Army and Vance III was born.
Upon their return to the USA he worked in Denver, CO and La
Crosse, WI, finally settling in the Minneapolis, MN area in 1967 where he
worked as a project engineer building the first self-manufacturing beer can
plants for Anheuser-Busch. Daughter Elizabeth was born in Denver but did
not survive due to a birth defect, and later Kristin was born in Minneapolis.
He was an avid 10k runner/racer and loved to lift weights,
bicycle, downhill ski, sail, and tinker on cars. He and Margie taught
their children to be fit and adventurous, taking them on skiing and sailing
adventures and a summer living in Mexico.
In 1979 he co-founded Container Systems International,
Inc. building can plants in in North America for Anheuser-Busch and Grupo
Zapata. The pinnacle of his career was building what was
considered one of the most sophisticated can plants in the
world, with his trademark of immaculately clean, well run and brightly lit
plants.
His marriage to Margie ended in divorce. In the mid-1990s he
transitioned to living full time in Mexico and shifted his passion to another
company he founded, Tumbaburros de Zacatecas (TBZ), that manufactures brush
guards, racks and accessories for trucks. He worked 6 days of week until
he was 80 and Covid necessitated changes to his business, which he sold to a
man he’d mentored for decades.
At age 66 he bought a 1952 Ford Victoria race car in Mexico
and began 15 years of high-adrenaline racing adventures with Vance III,
Kristin, and his best friend Rene Rodriguez. “TBZ Racing” earned numerous class
wins in the legendary La Carrera Panamericana, Chihuahua Express and Pikes Peak
International Hill Climb. He raced until he was 80, winning 3rd
place in the Chihuahua Express Tour class with Kristin in 2019.
He was forever young-hearted and young-thinking, he loved his
people, his career, and vintage racing. He loved the South Dakota prairie,
he loved his home in Minnesota, he loved living in Mexico and he loved dogs,
rescuing a half dozen dogs in Mexico. He
was adored and is deeply missed.
He is survived by his son, Colonel Vance F. Stewart, III,
U.S. Army Retired (Renate), two grandchildren, Charles and Elaine, his daughter
Kristin Stewart.
He was interred in Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico.
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