George Stewart was a man driven by the desire to serve others, whether that was his family, his church or his community. He retired the first time at age 50 so he could spend more time with his wife, Jo Anna, and their 11 children, worried that he would die at age 53 like his father. Instead, just before George turned 55, he was elected as the mayor of Provo. He returned later to serve on the city council, then stepped down mid-term to serve a church mission with his wife. He was reelected to the city council in 2016, just before he turned 77.
The former mayor and city councilman from Provo passed away this week at age 84.
George Owen Stewart was born on Nov. 16, 1939, to Joseph Leonard Stewart and Marjorie Esther Brand. Raised in Arizona, he went to work when he was in the fifth grade to help support his family following the death of his father. He began working at age 10 and, as a youth, delivered papers, worked at a dry cleaner, carried groceries and stocked shelves. He was the oldest of six children, living in an 1,100-square-foot home, as Doug Robinson of the Deseret News reported in 2016.
He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Peru as a young man, and then graduated from Arizona State University with a political science degree. He and his family ended up in Utah in 1978 and never left. In fact, he and Jo Anna never moved from the first home they owned on the Provo bench.
During his first retirement, Stewart served as the executive director of Deseret International (now Charity Vision) and as president of the Provo School Foundation. He returned to work for a couple of years, and then retired again two years later. He was serving as a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a BYU ward when he was encouraged to run for Provo mayor. He filed the night before the deadline in 1993, won the election in November and then served from 1994 to 1998.
He was a controversial figure as mayor, dubbed “King George” by radio personality Tom Barberi for his stance on closing the city’s swimming pools on Sundays. He argued successfully that even the U.S. Postal Service took Sundays off. The Provo pools are still closed on Sundays, three decades later.
In spite of controversy during his term as mayor, he was well-liked overall. He was elected twice more to the city council and left an impression on mayors who followed him. Upon learning of Stewart’s death, Rep. John Curtis, a previous Provo mayor, said, “He was a protector of all that makes Provo a special place to raise a family, start a business and enjoy a prosperous community. I’m grateful for his friendship and mentorship. He left an important legacy of service to his family, community and faith.”
Current Mayor Michelle Kaufusi said he was a wonderful “mayor mentor.” On social media, she posted: “To know George was to love him, and I did. George was a man of service to all — his friends, family, and especially his community — serving as Provo Mayor and on Provo (City) Council. When I was given the same honor to serve as Provo mayor, I found myself often at his home asking for advice. Of course, George was right there to be a much-needed mentor, constantly giving me useful mayoral tips while serving on the council. He is a dear friend and will be greatly missed.”
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 27.
