Tuttle to honor Stewart as Citizen of Year

Karen Brady

TUTTLE -- When Jim Stewart of Tuttle received a call from the Tuttle Chamber of Commerce, he wondered what they were needing, but did not call them back right away.

However, after his wife told him they had called twice, he returned the call only to discover he had been chosen as Tuttle’s 2008 Citizen of the Year.

“It was a shock,” said Stewart. “But a nice shock.”

“I think the award was well-deserved,” said Tuttle School Superintendent Lee Coker. “Jim has done so much for Tuttle Schools through the years and for the community as well. He is a great example of what a citizen in Tuttle should be. He was always a proponent of what was best for our community and he represented us well and he had a hand in educating literally thousands of kids throughout his 35 -year career. He was as effective his last day as he was his first.”

Nominations for Stewart included comments like these. “He has dedicated his life to serving the youth of our community and in doing so, he taught several generations, many of whom still reside within our community. Following his retirement, Jim has applied to be a school bus driver because he ‘didn’t want to lose touch with the kids.’ Jim serves faithfully at a local church and is known by most people in Tuttle. I feel our community would be honored to elect Jim Stewart as Tuttle’s 2008 Citizen of the Year;” and “He has loved each student he was involved (with) and showed his fellow employees loyalty and dedication.”

Being voted Tuttle’s Citizen of the Year is nothing new to Jim Stewart’s family. Indeed, Stewart’s mother-in-law and father-in-law, Elwanda and Jack Walker have both held the honor.

More recently, in 2004, Stewart’s son James Brian Stewart also held the distinguished position.

“What I’m most proud of is that I’m getting to follow in my son’s footsteps as Citizen of the Year,” said Stewart.

Stewart’s son, who was known by his middle name of Brian, died of brain cancer three years ago.

A sports enthusiast and close friend of Tuttle’s best-known citizen, Heisman Trophy winner Jason White, Brian was a volunteer baseball coach. In fact, the Tuttle High School baseball field is named in his honor.

“We went to every game Jason White played in, at home and away,” said Stewart. “I still attend most OU football and baseball games. It’s handy and it’s close.”

An Oklahoma State graduate himself, Stewart says, “I’m for Oklahoma. It doesn’t have to be OU or OSU. I just enjoy sports and anything to do with Oklahoma.”

“We’re really blessed,” said Stewart. “It is really difficult to lose a son, I can’t think of anything worse, except maybe to lose a spouse. You don’t ever get over it, you just learn to deal with it. I go to the cemetery every morning. I only miss when I am out of town.”

Despite the tragic loss of his son, Stewart is a tan, robust man of 57 who obviously has a passion for life.

Originally from Marlow, where his parents Joe and Jackie Stewart still live, he came to Tuttle as a student teacher in 1973. At the end of his student teaching, he was hired as the second Ag teacher, working his first years teaching alongside Bob Whitman.

“When you’re right out of college, you’re looking for a job,” says Stewart. “I moved to Tuttle and then I met my wife. We were married a year later.”

Married since 1974, Jim and Jan have a daughter, Briandi and son-in-law, Wil Lingel.

They attend the Tuttle First Baptist Church.

Avid gardeners, the couple spends every evening working in their Silver Spade Award-winning yard.

“I love working in my yard and I love to play golf. I can do that full time,” said Stewart, who considers himself an average golfer, but could play every day if left to his own devices. “We take a lot of pride in our yard.”

Recently retired after 35 years in education, 19 of those years spent as Tuttle Middle School Principal, Stewart left the school system to help out in his wife’s family’s business, Walker Oil Company.

“You just kind of know when it’s time to leave,” Stewart said of his retirement. “I wanted to leave on a good note. It’s an excellent school system with a good staff, administration and kids and it’s hard to leave. The decision to quit was really difficult. It’s hard to walk away from a really good school system, but it’s time to do something different.”

However, Stewart says he may drive a schoolbus just to stay close to the kids.

“I’ve always been in contact with the kids, so it’s going to be a little bit different,” said Stewart. “But, come August, I probably won’t miss it.”

Now that Stewart is no longer tied to a full-time job, he and Jan, along with 13 other couples, are planning an Alaskan cruise.

“A year ago, we and eight other couples went on a Caribbean cruise and we had an awesome time,” said Stewart. “So now we’re going to fulfill our “bucket list” and we’re going to Alaska. We’re all getting really excited.”

But first, Stewart, Tuttle’s 2008 Citizen of the Year, will be the Grand Marshal of the 17th annual Tuttle Ice Cream Festival Parade, leading his friends and neighbors down Main Street to Schrock Park where a recognition ceremony will be held starting at 11:30 a.m.

“I’m honored. I really am,” he says. “I owe everything to God.”