Stewart J. Doenias

Stewart J. Doenias, 68, passed away unexpectedly on May 24, 2024. Stew was born in Manhattan, NY on February 11, 1956, as the son of the late Paul Doenias and the late Roberta (Bobby) Doenias. His early years were spent in Bayside, Queens, New York and upon the untimely death of his mother, he spent the rest of his youth in Ft. Lee, NJ. Stew was a graduate of Fort Lee High School and earned his Bachelor's degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University. After college, he worked briefly in the garment industry in NYC until he left that field to begin his career with IBM. He was a devoted employee and contractor with IBM for the remainder of his life over the next 41 years.

Stew enjoyed fishing on Candlewood Lake, playing pickleball, tennis, racquetball and running. He was an enthusiastic supporter of his son's athletic pursuits in which he attended and coached his various teams. He was also an avid fan of his beloved New York baseball, football and hockey teams. Stew loved shopping at thrift stores and was always on the hunt for a new beer stein to add to his grand stein collection. He had a passion for music and attended many concerts often with his brother, Carl Doenias. 

Stew’s roots were of the Jewish faith. A defining moment of his life was the day he decided to follow Jesus Christ in 1997 and convert to Christianity. Shortly after that he began his work in the Children's Ministry, delighting and teaching hundreds of children for over 17 years with his loveable and funny puppet character, "Silly Willy". Stew’s abiding Christian faith was his anchor throughout the valleys and peaks of his life.

Stew had the ability to make an instant positive impression on everyone he encountered with his contagious and joyful laughter. He embodied generosity through random acts of kindness in his everyday life. It was commonplace for him to pay for the order of the car behind him at the drive-through, pay for others’ groceries at the supermarket or offer a friend a ride to the airport. He made life changing sacrifices to help those he loved, including donating one of his kidneys for his brother’s health and adopting and raising his son. Over the years, Stew also generously donated and participated in fundraising events in support of several friends. Stew was humble and never boasted about these acts of kindness, but rather, viewed them as blessings to others.

He is survived by his partner and the love of his life, Susan Barresi; his son Sean Doenias and his wife Shaina Forte; his brother Carl Doenias and his partner Sandra Buri; a sister Sharon Lewis; a niece and nephew, cousins, along with numerous friends and church family.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024, at 10:30am at New Life United Methodist Church, 1 Beaver Bog Rd, New Fairfield, CT. In Lieu of Flowers, please consider making a donation towards the Hopeline Pregnancy Center at hopelineprc.org/donate.

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