STEWART, Jerry
Jerry (Coach) Stewart passed away on January 10, 2024, after a brief illness. He was surrounded by the love of his wife, Sharon; and children, Kevin, Kim, Shannon and Todd, and the encouragement of so many others who wrote or called to express their love and concern for him.
Born on August 13, 1949, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Growing up, he became enamored with sports, playing football, baseball, and wrestling at Jacksonville High School, and he always dreamed of becoming a coach. Jerry played football at Eastern Illinois University where he met Sharon who couldn't resist his great smile. They married in 1971 and began teaching together in Joy, Illinois, with him coaching. With the encouragement of college teammates who were coaching in Georgia, Jerry and Sharon moved south where he began coaching at Tucker High School. He loved the school and community during his 16 years there – a busy and joyful time during which their four children were born.
Jerry went on to teach and coach at Shiloh and Parkview where the adapted P.E. programs he established were dear to his heart. After realizing his dreams of winning a state championship in 1997, his defenses would play in a total of 7 state championships, winning 4 of them. Upon retiring from public school education after 32 years, Jerry continued his career at St. Pius X where his two-year plan turned into a treasured 14 years. His sincere love and interest in others' lives shone in his daily interactions with faculty, staff, and students. He had an incredible gift of making people feel valued and special.
Still, Jerry's truest source of pride and greatest joy came away from the athletic fields, as family was always the most important devotion in his life. He adored his children, loved their spouses, and delighted in his 11 grandchildren. He blessed his family with his humor, hand-written letters, great storytelling, and constant encouragement. Carefully mapping out each season's calendar, Jerry loved cheering on his grandkids at as many events as possible. Retirement also brought Jerry and Sharon the joys of traveling, including visiting family, road trips to National Parks, jaunts through New England, and numerous cruises throughout the Caribbean and Europe.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon; son, Kevin (Krista, children, Addison, Ansley, Tanner, Hudson) of Bogart, GA; daughter, Kim (Charlie, children, Ethan, Reagan, Christian) Murphy of Davidson, NC; daughter, Shannon (Jamie, children, James, Samuel) Browning of Charleston, SC; and son, Todd (Kelli, children, Carson, Bailey) of Cumming, GA; in addition to numerous dear family members, countless friends, coaches, players, and students.
A visitation will be held at St. Pius X Catholic HS on Sunday, January 28, from 3-6 PM. Dress is informal and the family asks for a favorite visor to be worn in honor of Jerry. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church in Lilburn on Monday, January 29, at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jerry's memory to your local Special Olympics program.
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