Cal And Gee Stuart: More Than Great Neighbors

Historical October 1994 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

Of the many vicissitudes reported through the years in The Times of Skinker DeBaliviere, one which is truly bittersweet occurs when a longtime, well-respected, and much-loved neighbor moves. Part of this is our own feeling that no where else can possibly be as terrific as our own community. Sometimes it is much more personal. And so it was as we said goodbye recently to Cal and Gee Stuart of the 6100 block of Kingsbury.

We will miss them as friends, as well as neighbors who have contributed immeasurably over many years to our community’s success. Commemorating their tenure recently, State Representative Nancy Farmer and Alderman Dan McGuire officially honored them with resolutions from the state legislature and the Board of Alderman. Many friends joined in the celebration.

We remember Cal as Executive Director of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council for over a dozen years, prowling our alleys (was he the infamous and anonymous “Fox”?), prodding the police and persuading the real estate agents, making everyone who came into the little office on Kingsbury feel that the neighborhood’s comeback was possible. And more, that you wanted to be involved in making it happen. Many will remember the Council meetings with Jack Wright’s gavel punctuating the rhythm of Cal’s reports. (We should have done videotapes to show upcoming generations of meeting-goers how a meeting should be run!) And remember the “after-the-meeting meetings”, generally at Green’s, where the business at hand was debated vigorously and often with quite creative results. Results that included green spaces and parks, libraries and more. Designation as a Historic District (not without confrontation).

A plan for DeBaliviere. Several plans for Nina Place. Results that went beyond dogs and trash to eliminating red lining, even to starting a new bank–the first in Missouri in a quarter century. Lots of practical accomplishments could be listed here. Gee’s entrepreneurship, which resulted In a successful property management company, McPherson Management, which managed rental units in many areas of the City.

Her evolution into City-wide housing development, as Director of Operation Impact. Both the Stuarts’ active role In many political campaigns of note, many veerry Interesting political and philosophical debates. Gee’s writing, with Sue Tepas and Kathy Hartleman, of The History of SkinkerDeBaliviere, a highly regarded document of where we’d been and where we were headed. And along the way, they raised a family here: three nowgrown children, two of whom still (happy to say) live in the neighborhood: C.T., a department manager at National Food Stores: Allison, a graphic artist at the Community Development Agency; and Sarah, an engineer living in Oregon. Gee and Cal shepherded them through schools in the neighborhood, public and private, involving themselves in the school activities, of St. Roch, of Hamilton Branch Ill, and much more. Through the years, Gee and Cal have contributed to our success and also helped make this a wonderful and fun place to live. Cal, sometimes in his other role as Episcopalian priest, has performed various ceremonies and several memorable marriages. Both Stuarts have served as Chairmen of the old “Art Fair/House Tours”, on Mother’s Day in years past, a huge annual undertaking which brought many of us into active roles in the neighborhood. And who can forget Gee working the crowd to win as “Prom Queen” at the 70’s fundraising event maybe of all time.

As Alderman Dan McGuire’s Resolution at the Board of Alderman expressed, in part: Whereas, these outstanding citizens and public servants are ensconced forever in the mythology and history of the Skinker DeBaliviere Community as two of the key individuals responsible for the stabilization and renaissance of this culturally diverse and premier neighborhood…and Whereas, friends and family …thank, honor and celebrate the closing of an extremely productive and long chapter in their lives and wish them well in their future home and endeavors; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by this Honorable Board of Alderman, that … honoring this distinguished and much loved couple … we adopt this resolution of appreciation and best wishes …. Thanks, Cal and Gee, for being great friends and neighbors for more than 25 years. Come back often to see us, and teach those people on the Hill how to bring back a neighborhood, will ya?

Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, October 1994.

Read this article in the original newspaper issue.

Original source: SD_Times1994_10.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.