Wayne Stewart

Mr. Wayne Stewart, 80, passed away on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at UAB Medical Center in Birmingham, AL. A funeral service is planned for Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 2 p.m. at South Haven Mennonite Church, 6049 Prairie Point Rd., Macon, MS 39341. Interment will be in Salem Cemetery Hwy 14 W, Macon, MS 39341. Visitation will be held from 5-8pm Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at South Haven Mennonite Church, Macon, MS. Memorials may made to Salem Cemetery, 21 Elkin Ct., Macon, MS 39341 or Elon Baptist Church, P.O. Box 128 Macon MS 39341.

Wayne Stewart was born in Guntersville, Alabama on September 30, 1943 to the late Walter Thomas Stewart and Edith Mae Haney Stewart. He was the oldest of three siblings. He graduated from Magnolia High school in 1961 and then graduated from Mississippi State University in 1964.

In 1965 Wayne married the love of his life, Rita Lindley, while he was practice teaching at Noxubee County High School as a coach. In 1966 they moved to Covington, Louisiana where he was a high school head coach for one year. He moved back to Macon as an assistant coach and later as head coach for 4 years at Noxubee County high school. He then moved to Central Academy in 1969 as the school’s first head coach and remained there for 3 years, producing excellent teams each year and going 10-1 the first year, only being defeated in the post season Grenada Bowl. Coach Stewart’s Central Academy teams were known for their hard hitting and aggressive play on both sides of the ball. Then he went to Heritage Academy in Columbus as head coach for 2 years. In 1974 he became a State Farm Insurance agent and as with anything that he ever started, Wayne excelled as an insurance agent. During his time as an insurance agent, he continued to use his coaching talents with local Little League baseball and high school football teams.

At the end of his coaching years, Wayne formed a group of singing athletes from Central Academy who traveled Mississippi sharing their testimony through their theme song: “Pass it On”. The opening lyrics of this song say:” It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.” Everyone who experienced Wayne in their life in any capacity can definitely say that they were warmed by his presence. His energy, enthusiasm and his example of caring affected the lives of all who knew him.

Through the years Wayne had many hobbies, but a favorite one was refurbishing old cars with Dean Poag and Kenny Boykin. He was a member of Safari Club International and traveled annually to their national convention. He met many people at the SCI convention and made lifelong friends there. He was an avid hunter and pursued his passion, returning home with many trophy mounts from his hunts in Africa, Alaska, Canada, and other areas around the Arctic circle. Wayne would put together elk and mule deer hunting trips to the Colorado Rockies with his friends and former students and would amaze them all with his ability and stamina in climbing the mountains at altitudes often well in excess of 9500 feet above sea level. He also loved to deep sea fish and many were the times that he left late on a Friday night following a football game to drive to the coast to go out fishing with his brother-in-law, Ancil Lindley, and his sons the next morning. Wayne was very passionate about cutting horses and founded WRJ Horse Ranch for breeding and training horses. His attention to detail with the horses produced a national champion cutting horse, ”WRJ Dunbar Leo”, who also placed at No. 5 in the world.

Over Wayne’s 50 years as Macon’s State Farm Insurance agent, many people came into his office for a policy never having known Wayne, but they left that day knowing that they had just made a new friend. That list extends thru to the second and third generation of family members holding SF policies and counting Wayne as a friend. Many of his first customers and friends were the students that he had previously coached. He was often still referred to as “Coach Stewart” even though the customers were adults with families, while others called him Mr. Wayne or Big Wayne. Each and every example of the persons mentioned here called him a friend for life. He always tried to make time to speak to everyone who came into the office. Wayne also served his community by being involved in and supporting many charities and fundraisers and also by serving on several boards of directors, including BankFirst  for many years.

Wayne was a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Elon Baptist Church near Macon for many years and his presence there will be greatly missed. He loved people to a fault, with his encouraging nature making the hard times in their lives easy and the good times great. He always saw the good side of people and tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. As our family, his friends, and as a community, saying goodbye to Wayne Stewart is hard, but Wayne‘s life was a life well lived. As long as anyone who knew him lives, he and his example for us will not be forgotten.

Wayne Stewart leaves behind his loving wife, Rita and two of his sons: Wayne Jr, and Jeb( Kelli) as well as 6 grandchildren: Austin ( Meria), Anna Lea (Trey), Eli, Ivy Kate, Gunner and Loxley, 2 great grandchildren: Lakyn and  Leo and our devoted housekeeper and friend, Nettie Brooks, who lovingly took care of our entire family.

He is preceded in death by his second born son: Gabe, his parents: Walter and Edith Stewart and his siblings: Patricia, David Allen, and Kevin Scott

If you would like to see the memorial video of Wayne Stewart go to this link

https://youtu.be/K9pEttj-dDM?si=wnmNWEB8PwYyE2AR