Samuel J. Stewart of Marietta delivered service with a smile each time he dropped off the mail to neighbors on his Dunwoody route.
The long-time U.S. Postal Service employee, on the job for nearly 40 years, died Sunday after a long illness that had caused him to give up his route and retire.
Mr. Stewart succumbed to bone cancer on Sunday at Hospice of Atlanta. He was 69.
In an age of instant messaging and electronic greeting cards, Mr. Stewart was a friendly reminder of simpler times. Like the personal letters and postcards he toted in his bag, Mr. Stewart brought joy to those he encountered.
"He enjoyed his mail route and the people on it,” said his daughter, Mrs. Karen Stewart Johnson, of College Park. “He was a real people person."
Though Mr. Stewart retired in early 2006, many along his route still remembered him, Mrs. Johnson said. The family has received several calls from former customers offering condolences. His fellow postal workers visited regularly up until his death.
Viewing will be from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.Wednesday at Historic West End Chapel of Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, which is also in charge of arrangements. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at True Light Baptist Church in Atlanta, with the Rev. Darrell Elligan officiating.
Burial will be in Woodlawn Memorial Park in Macon.
Mr. Stewart received several professional awards during his tenure, including the U. S. Postal Service Special Achievement Award in April 1987 and a National Safety Council Expert Driver Award for 25 years of safe driving. He also received gifts from those along his routes who sought to return his kindness.
One of his old routes included Northlake Mall. When he would shop there off duty with his kids, mall employees would wave or call out his name like he was a local celebrity.
"Everyone knew him," said daughter Mrs.Vickie Stewart Matthews, of Mableton.
His daughters said they developed a passion for customer service and a strong work ethic by watching their dad.
Mrs. Matthews, a former assistant branch manager with SunTrust, worked in banking for 30 years. Mrs. Johnson, also a former banker, now juggles careers in interior design and hair styling.
"My father was one of those type of dads," Mrs Matthews said. "He worked extremely hard. When he worked at the post office, he would come home and do security."
But he was never too busy for his kids. "He would go to games and sit in the stands. He was everyone's dad when it came to our friends," she added.
When Mr. Stewart and his ex-wife, the late Lelia Thomas, divorced after more than 20 years of marriage, they still remained close. They visited their children at the same time for holidays and cared for each other when they both became ill. Mrs. Thomas died in September 2011 from ovarian cancer.
During Mr. Stewart's spare time when he was younger, he would ride and repair motorcycles. He joined a motorcycle club and took trips to Daytona, Fla. He also enjoyed fishing and was a member of True Light Baptist.
In addition to his two daughrters, Mr. Stewart is survived by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
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