Leland "Stewart" Wise

Leland Stewart Wise was born in Lubbock, Texas in September of 1955 and shuffled off this mortal coil  in Boston, Massachusetts on July 12, 2022. To quote his friend Lynell, “People like Stewart, as if there  was anyone like Stewart, don’t come into your world but once in a lifetime.” This appears to be true for  everyone he knew. The best way to know how much he meant to his wide circle of friends is to see what  they have written about him when they heard the sad, sad news of his passing. But first, a little  background into our friend’s interesting life: his sister Roxanne said he always loved music and enjoyed  the classics as a young boy and then moved on to the music of the times. He was a huge Beatles fan  and his musical knowledge and likes encompassed a large variety. He loved living in big cities, from  Dallas to Austin to New York to London to Boston. Early on, he lived for a time in Stephenville, Texas and  worked in a restaurant there, chopping and doing go-for work, which began his culinary passion and  career. He worked for Spaghetti Warehouse, Dobie Screens, Waterloo Records, Austin Chronicle (as the  Classical Music Editor), Martin Brothers, Dean and DeLuca (in NYC) and Whole Foods (in Austin, New  York, London, and Boston). He and his friends published a magazine: Contempo Culture. He wrote  music reviews for the Austin Chronicle. He started his own catering company called Big State Catering  with the motto, “Real Fancy.” He created his own blog called “Goosefat.” His dear friends, Ellen and  Kathy, had a hard time deciding what to record as his occupation because he had been a writer, a critic,  an artist, a life-long scholar of music and the arts, and a chef. He was what you might call your “bon  vivant!” 

After people found out that Stewart had died of Parkinson’s, the comments poured in and you can really  see what a unique character he was: beloved 2/3-of-my-life-long friend; dear friend, a character,  hilarious, well-read, a font of knowledge, a great chef and so much fun to be around; a treasure of a  person; I just loved him; he’ll be missed by so many people; he had long and fun friendships; I’m so  sorry to hear this news; he was a big influence on young punk teens; he always made people smile; he  was so intelligent; I’m so sad; I’ve been missing him since he left Austin; he was such a great guy he was  one of my dearest friends; he was so loved and will be missed; he was my friend for 50 years; I have so  many fun memories; this is such a loss to so many people; I miss him he was one of a kind; we were  lucky to have known him; he was a wonderful human being with so many friends; he turned me on to  Mark Rothko; I’ll miss him bad; he impressed people; he was a rare character; he was one of the  smartest and funniest people I’ve ever known; he was a great, inspirational dude; he was one of a kind,  with a passion for music and the arts and a unique sense of humor; he was a brilliant guy, he was a  handful sometimes, but fun to live with; I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore, there was only one Stewart;  he had a great mind and was a great writer; this is going to take some time to process because I loved  him very much; RIP Stewart; I enjoyed the hell out of knowing him; he was such a prickly, smart, funny,  well-read, talented guy; this is such a sad day; he was a fun person and you felt like something  meaningful was about to happen when you shared in his energy; he had an encyclopedic mind; he was a  big part of our lives back in the day; he was one of my best friends and I’ll never forget him; and as  Samantha said, he was a good friend.  

Stewart’s friends were the people he chose to become his family and are too numerous to mention—you  know who you are. He was predeceased by his father, Julian Russell Wise, Sr. and is survived by his  mother, Nancy Sue Wise; his sisters Roxanne Davis (D.J.) and Debra Matthews (Kelly); his brothers  Russell Wise and Stephen Wise (Stephanie); and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great  nephews. He floated in and out of their lives and kept in touch by sending Christmas cards. Each and  every one of us is lucky to have known him.  

At Stewart’s request, there will be no formal service. A memorial will be held in the fall.

Funeral arrangements under the care of the Hamel-Lydon Chapel. For online condolences, please visit www.hamellydon.com