Carl Zell Stewart was born January 4, 1952, in Jacksonville, FL to Mildred Robinson and Zell Stewart. Carl was the middle child, with an older sister Dolores and a younger sister Winifred. As a young child, he moved with his mother and sisters to Philadelphia, PA where he attended St. Vincent Elementary and Cardinal Dougherty (a Roman Catholic high school). As a child, Carl was adventurous and confident. He loved playing baseball, only coming home when the sun went down. He was a bright student and had a band of loyal friends, many of whom he kept close into adulthood.
As a teenager, Carl developed passions for jazz, basketball, and music in all its forms: David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and Dave Koz, to name a few. He was inspired by jazz and would travel to downtown Philadelphia for music lessons. After graduating high school in 1969, Carl attended Trinidad State College in Trinidad, CO, for two years, and then transferred to Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, AZ, where he graduated with a BS in Engineering. His first job after college was working on an oil rig off the coast of California. He moved to Long Beach, and for the past 39 years Carl was employed at Daico Industries in Carson, CA.
Carl was an avid athlete and sports fan. He enjoyed playing softball and had many close friends from the teams he played with. He enjoyed watching most sports, and was a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Flyers. He was most passionate about the Green Bay Packers. He introduced sports to his only nephew, Shawn, as a small child, and Carl’s passion for sports lives on through him. Carl was introduced to the game of golf by his friend Brian, and they continued to play together throughout the years.
In 1998 while playing in a Western States Golf Association tournament in San Diego he met the love of his life, Nesi, who lived in northern California at the time. They had a long-distance relationship for a year, and Nesi moved to Long Beach, where they enjoyed playing golf and traveling together. Carl and Nesi were married in Pismo Beach in 2003 featuring a golf theme. Each year afterward they celebrated their wedding anniversary in Pismo Beach, playing golf with family and friends for two days.
In 2007 Carl and Nesi purchased Printmasters in Los Alamitos, where they’ve made many friends and were very involved in the community. Carl enjoyed working on equipment in the print shop and loved talking and joking with customers and the Printmasters’ staff. He also had a green thumb, with plants growing all over the print shop.
Carl and Nesi loved traveling together and taking trips with family and friends. Most of the time they managed to get in a round or two of golf. They also enjoyed football together and had a rivalry because Nesi is a 49er fan and Carl was a diehard Packer fan. They attended 49er/Packer games as well as Packer games in Green Bay, Minnesota, Los Angeles and Dallas. In March this year they were also blessed with the opportunity to play golf at Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay and Spyglass, a golfer’s dream vacation.
Earlier this year they started planning for a puppy. Their labradoodle was born August 9, and Nesi will be bringing the puppy home in a couple of weeks. Carl was excited about getting a female dog and named her Millie in honor of his mother who he loved so much.
On September 11, 2021 following a stroke, Carl received his heavenly wings. He was a devout Catholic, and a member of St. Barnabas Church in Long Beach.
Carl was preceded in death by his mother, Mildred Robinson. He leaves to cherish his memories his wife, Nesi, sisters Dolores Robinson and Winifred Robinson, nephew, Shawn Maurice Williams, sister-in-law Glenda Renee’ Harris, brothers-in-law Edward Harris and Howard (Lori) Harris, cousins, and a host of friends, and co-workers.
