Mr Stewart was 87.
Calder Stewart was established in 1955 by Mr Stewart and fellow Mataura-based builder Lance Calder.
From an initial asset base of £25, a car and trailer, the two men built up a company which today undertakes major construction projects throughout New Zealand from its Milton base.
Mr Calder died in 1974 but Mr Stewart and his four sons — Peter, Alan, Andrew and Donald — who joined the firm in the 1980s — worked on projects such as the 54,000sq m Fonterra Darfield dry store, the 32,000sq m Foodstuffs distribution centre in Christchurch and Invercargill attractions such as Bill Richardson Transport World and the ILT Velodrome.
In 2017, Mr Stewart became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
While the award was for services to the community and the construction industry, Mr Stewart also played roles in the Otago Manufacturers’ Association, Otago Master Builders, New Zealand Metal Roofing Manufacturers Inc and the South Otago Farm Forestry Association for 35 years.
Mr Stewart also served as a councillor on the Milton Borough Council for six years and Bruce District Council for three years.
A full obituary will run in the Otago Daily Times at a later date.
