BOUNTIFUL—First responders, family, local leaders and community members came together on Tuesday, March 3 to remember South Davis Metro Fire (SDMF) Chief Greg Stewart who passed away unexpectedly Feb. 20. He would have been 52 on his birthday, March 19, 1974. 

The service was held at the Western Sports Park in Farmington. The audience stood in silence as law enforcement men and women marched into the arena as bagpipes played in honor of Stewart.

Stewart started with SDMF in 2001 and became chief in 2024 after having served in every position in the fire department, as firefighter, engineer, captain, battalion chief and deputy fire chief. 

“When I retired he stepped into the Fire Chief position,” said retired SDMF Chief Dane Stone. “When it came to balancing work and family you were always there. You learned from every challenge. Thanks for the memories of loyalty – you always had my back.”

Stewart grew up in Richmond, Utah and attended Sky View High School in Smithfield. After high school he attended Utah State University where he met his wife Ashley Christiansen. They were married in 1998 and have three children.

“For me it was love at first sight,” said Ashley. “For Greg it took a while to figure it out.”

Greg was one of a kind, she said. “He was an expert seamstress. Our kids learned fast that if they needed something mended they went to dad. He’d be working on the kids’ jump house, boots, tents. Greg is the only person I know that still darns socks.”

He was never too tired to attend a hockey game or another activity the kids were involved in or to do a late night car repair, Ashley said. “He was all in all the time.”

Izzy Stewart, Greg’s daughter shared her experience learning how to drive with her dad. “In the state of Utah you are required to get 40 hours of driving before you can get your license but my dad thought it should be 80.”

That’s 80 hours of driving around in silence, she said. “So I said as a joke, ‘what do you think the meaning of life is?’ He said ‘that’s a tough question. There are so many things to see and do. I want to do all the things and see all the things.’”

“My dad taught me everything about service and hard work,” said Greg’s son Matt. “Every time he would go out to shovel the driveway he would go to the other side and do it for others.”

He always saw the best in people, said Matt. “He loved to serve constantly and I appreciate that.”

Greg was a self proclaimed “service junkie,” his obituary said. “He would drop what he was doing in an instant to help others and was constantly doing home repairs, yard projects and working on cars for other people. He loved being a firefighter. He was always the first one in and the last one out.”

After the service a procession of firetrucks and first responders drove from Farmington and ended in Bountiful at Station 81. There the final ceremony took place with Greg’s wife and children being presented with flags and then the traditional “tolling of the bell.” Dispatch also gave “Last Call” announcing the firefighter’s name, marking them “off duty" or “clear.” 

“It hurts really bad,” said one SDMF member. “I just know how much his people meant to him.”