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Kay Stewart
by her daughter Kathi Jo L.
Kay Stewart was a gal from Little Birch, way back in the woods of Wild Wonderful West Virginia. She was born the second child of eight, the first of four girls to, in Kay's words, “hard working, God fearing, salt of the earth people, who just wanted their sons to grow up to be gentlemen and their girls to be ladies, and she blew their program sky high from the very beginning”. In 1944 she moved to the “big city of Akron Ohio .She was 17 and thrilled with the bright lights, fancy cars and beer joints on every corner and she immediately joined in with the drinking, dancing crowd. She later said in her lead that she “loved it all and wanted to drink until the day she died and she almost made it”. By Sept 25, 1965 the lights no longer bright, the cars wrecked and the dancing had stopped. Kay and husband K.C. went into treatment to quit drinking and began the happiest years of their lives as active members of Alcoholics Anonymous, They jumped into the program with both feet and were totally committed to staying happy & sober and helping others to attain the same. Kay, K.C, Oscar Futral and about five other AA's who met for breakfast on Sunday mornings at the Flame Restaurant and it evolved into a regular Sunday morning meeting, The Flame Group, with over 150 home group members. Though the restaurants changed the group name did not. They hoped that The Flame would serve as a beacon of help and hope to others.
She was active in intergroup, as a delegate and GSR and a very active sponsor. She traveled nationally and in Canada as a much sought after AA speaker of recovery, gratitude, hope and love. In 1973 she was the first female to become chairman of Akron Intergroup and served as the first female chairman of Founder's Day. In 1979 she became the first female to lead the main meeting at Founder's Day.
She often went by the home that had once belonged to Dr. Bob and Ann and was so saddened by it's state of neglect and disrepair and was desperate to find a way to save it, but she was always told that AA held no property and there was nothing to be done. But Kay was to be undeterred and called her friend Wesley Parrish in Pompano Beach, Florida and discussed creating a foundation not affiliated with AA to purchase the home at 855 Ardmore Ave. Wesley said he'd like to speak at King School and Kay arranged it and also for him to meet with her, Dave S. and a few other AA's at Joe G's house who lived near the school. That was to become Founder's Foundation and they indeed did buy the house with the help and contributions of many AA's. They scraped, painted & scrubbed to their delight and it is now on the State of Ohio Historic Registry and was dedicated by then Governor Celeste and it is also now on National Historic Registry. Every Founder's Day the grateful participants flock to Dr. Bob's Home and are able to walk the twelve steps up to the door and become a part of Kay's dream.
Kay had also become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor working at The Interval Brotherhood Home, where a new building for adolescent males was dedicated to K.C. Stewart, Leo Dugan and Sam Dallas for their great contributions of time and service. In 1989 Kay's beloved K.C. died and Father Sam wanted her to remain as a counselor, but she found herself unable to at that time, so she became intake co-coordinator, working there until ill health forced her to retire. She remained a grateful, sober AA until her death Founder's Day weekend, June 5, 2003
January 9, 2007
See the Kay Stewart Collection of AA Memorabilia
E-mail: abookman@columbus.rr.com
Phone: 419 563-5905
Copyright Dangerous Publications © Aug. 2004 Content not for republication without permission.