[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6285]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ROBERT STEWART

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 8, 2012

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor of the life 
of Walnut Hill's beloved Robert Stewart. Throughout the area, Mr. 
Stewart was known for his selfless nature, immense generosity, 
dedicated service to his local community, and never-ending love for his 
family. This man was a hero to our Northwest Florida community, and he 
will be greatly missed.
  Robert Stewart served as a volunteer fireman for over thirty years 
and as Chief of the Walnut Hill Fire Department for the latter fifteen 
of those years. During his time in service, he saved the lives of 
countless Walnut Hill citizens. According to Mr. Stewart, one of his 
most memorable emergency calls was near the end of his career on March 
9, 2001. Two teenage girls were trapped in a car that had lost a battle 
with a tree leaving their tiny sports car split entirely in half--two 
pieces of car left on the side of Highway 99. Mr. Stewart, along with 
his team, diligently worked to extract the teenage girls from the car. 
Due to Mr. Stewart and his team's heroic efforts, both girls survived. 
What made this call different from any other was the girls came back to 
the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department to thank the team for saving 
their lives. Mr. Stewart was never one to ask or demand the 
appreciation, but when it occurred, he was always grateful.
  Robert Stewart has been labeled a hero on many other occasions. 
Another such incident was a wreck that occurred on State Line Road that 
left a family's car upside down in a ditch filled with water. Mr. 
Stewart was the first to respond to the scene, and he safely removed 
three children from the car. The mother of the children called him a 
hero, but true to his modest and humble character, he responded with 
``I am just doing my job.''
  Mr. Stewart is survived by his wife, Diann; children, Sam and Kelly; 
and grandchildren, Tanner and Andrew. Those fortunate enough to have 
met Mr. Stewart would agree that they were truly blessed by his warm 
heart and generosity. His impact on the Walnut Hill Community will 
never be forgotten. To some, Mr. Stewart will be remembered as an 
invaluable leader of the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department, but to 
the friends and family he leaves behind, Mr. Stewart will most fondly 
be remembered as a loving and committed family man.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I rise to honor 
the life of Robert Stewart and his living legacy. Our community has 
truly suffered a great loss with his passing. My wife Vicki joins me in 
sending our most heartfelt condolences to the entire Stewart family.

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