My Genealogy Hound

James Stewart, Tombstone and Grave, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, photos

The grave and tombstone of James Maitland Stewart, best known as Jimmy Stewart. Stewart was born May 20, 1908 in the town of Indiana, Pennsylvania. His movie career began in 1934 and in just five years he had earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). During the following year, Stewart's role in The Philadelphia Story (1940) was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Male Actor. Rather than displaying his winning Oscar statuette in a showcase at home, he gave the award to his father who proudly displayed the trophy for many years in the front window of the hardware store he operated back in Stewart's hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania.

In October, 1940, Stewart was drafted for service in the U. S. Army. When taking his physical, it was determined that he was underweight for his height and was rejected. Despite a successful film career, he was determined that he would enter the military service. After undergoing a rigorous effort to gain weight, Stewart was inducted into the Army in March of 1941, nine months before the United States officially entered World War Two. He entered the service as a private but due to the fact that he was a college graduate (Princeton, 1932) and that he was skilled pilot, he was able to transfer to the Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant. While the Air Corps at first used him in a training capacity, Stewart was determined to do service in actual combat. He was able to transfer to a unit that was sent to the war front and fulfill his goal of flying in combat missions. His service twice earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters as well as other awards. He remained a member of the Air Force Reserve after the war ended until he retired in May, 1968 with the rank of Brigadier General. A modest man, Stewart seldom spoke of his military service and many of his fans were little aware that he had served.

After the war ended in 1945 , Stewart resumed his film career. It's A Wonderful Life was released in 1946 and it is probably the most well known movie of his career. Stewart's role as George Bailey earned him his third Academy Award nomination. A few of his other notable movies include Harvey (nomination for an Academy Award) (1950), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), Anatomy of a Murder (nomination for an Academy Award) 1959, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1961), Shenandoah (1965), and The Shootist (1976). Stewart's last film role was in 1991 as the voice of "Wylie Burp" in the animated feature, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.

Off screen, Jimmy Stewart was known as being soft spoken, humble, generous and with a dry sense of humor. His off screen activities included writing poetry, constructing model airplanes, promoting the Boy Scouts, and being a member of Sons of the Revolution (similar to but distinct from the Sons of the American Revolution). Unlike most major stars of the era, Stewart married only once. He married Gloria Hatrick Mclean in August, 1949 and remained married to her until her death in February, 1992.

On July 2, 1997, James Maitland Stewart died at Beverly Hills, California of a embolism (blood cot) in the lung. He was 89 years old. His remains are buried on a hillside grave in Forest Lawn Memorial Garden Cemetery, Glendale, California next to his wife, Gloria. His final words were said to be "I'm going to be with Gloria now!" The inscription on his tombstone reads: "For He Shall Give His Angels Charge Over Thee To Keep Thee In All Thy Ways." See the additional photo below.

The tombstone and grave of Gloria Hatrick Stewart, born March 10, 1918 at Larchmont, New York, died February 16, 1994, age 75. The inscription on her tombstone reads: " In Our Most Loving Memories, She Will Always Be With Us, She Made Life Better."