Stuart Freedman Obituary, Death – To inform you of the tragic news of our beloved Stuart’s passing, we are now reaching out to you. He was loved and respected for the person he was—as a husband, father, friend, mentor, and leader. Numerous lives all across the world have been changed by his zeal and commitment.
Stuart started Fire Mountain Gems and Beads in 1973 as a result of his love for cutting faceted stones. As an engineer, he was interested in angles, optics, and gemology. The finished stones had filled the garage and it was time to sell them. Over the past 50 years, he and his wife Chris have transformed a garage-based pastime into a multinational jewelry-making supply company.
He traveled the world in search of supplies for jewelry-making while establishing enduring friendships. His life’s labor has brought together a global community of creators, suppliers, and employees. The tagline of our business, “Changing the World One Bead at a Time,” was perfectly encapsulated by Stuart. Those of us who had the pleasure of working with Stuart will cherish and remember his big heart, humor, intelligence, and generosity of time and knowledge for as long as we live. He used to pause when he passed by the building to tell us a joke, make us laugh, or impart some wise counsel. He will be missed.
Stuart put a lot of effort into the company and the people who worked there, but he also made time for his devoted wife, close relatives, and friends. He found enormous satisfaction in his love of animals, especially with his horses and dogs—the Rhodesian ridgebacks were some of our favorite coworkers over the years.
Stuart was the one who was most excited about Fire Mountain Gems & Beads’ upcoming 50th anniversary. We sincerely hope you’ll join us in paying him tribute. We all want to carry on his legacy of generosity and creativity wherever we go. Stuart will always be revered in the jewelry-making community and will continue to be an example of warm customer service and daily operations for us.