Allendale remembers Jim Stewart, outdoorsman, Teamsters representative and storyteller

Jim Stewart’s friends and family remember a man who showed up in work boots, had plenty to say and always seemed most at home outside. For people in Allendale and the surrounding communities, the loss is not just the death of a name from an obituary but the absence of a familiar voice, a hard worker and a neighbor who built his life around family, work and the places where people crossed paths.

James Dwight Stewart, known to many as Jim, died June 9 at age 73 of natural causes. He lived in Eden, Georgia, and Allendale, South Carolina, and his life stretched from his birth in Hampton, Virginia, on January 20, 1953, to the hands-on jobs and close relationships that defined his later years.

Stewart worked in land clearing, logging and trucking, and he also served as a representative of the Teamsters Port Division. That mix of labor fits the portrait his family shared: a man rooted in practical work, comfortable around machinery and familiar with the people who keep freight, timber and heavy equipment moving. He was also known for operating heavy machinery, a detail that adds to the image of a man who earned his living by doing the difficult work others depend on.

Outside of work, Stewart’s interests reflected the same plainspoken, earthbound life. He enjoyed being outdoors, gardening, trains and beekeeping. Those habits, along with his love of story-telling, helped make him a recognizable figure in a small community where personality often travels faster than a last name. The notice said he wanted to make friends with everyone around him, spoke his mind and told lots of stories, traits that made him memorable well beyond any one job.

Stewart is survived by his wife of 36 years, Shree Stewart; his mother, Nancy Rea Morrison; his sons Mitchell, Bryan and Jason Beasley; his grandchildren; his siblings Diane Johnson and John Stewart; his brother-in-law Vernon Hendrix and wife Tiffany; many cherished friends; and his beloved dog, Jax. His father, Jack Stewart, died before him.

A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at Lower Blackcreek Cemetery in Ellabell, Georgia. Keith Smith Funeral Service of Allendale is handling arrangements, closing a life that left its mark through work, conversation and the steady habits of a man many people came to know simply as Jim.