Jimmy Stewart

Birth Name:

James Maitland Stewart

Birth Date:

May 20, 1908

Birth Place:

Indiana, Pennsylvania

Death Date:

July 2, 1997

Place of Death:

918 North Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Heart attack caused by pulmonary embolism.

Cemetery Name:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart (1908–1997) was an iconic American actor known for his distinctive voice, affable screen presence, and versatility across film genres. Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Stewart initially studied architecture at Princeton University before being drawn to acting. He began his film career in the 1930s and quickly became a leading man, starring in classics such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Philadelphia Story (1940). During World War II, Stewart served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces, rising to the rank of brigadier general. After the war, he returned to Hollywood with renewed depth, taking on more complex roles in films like It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Rear Window (1954), and Vertigo (1958). Over his six-decade career, Stewart appeared in over 80 films and became one of the most beloved figures in American cinema. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1985 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985.

Fun Facts

With his private pilot’s skills, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II seeking combat duty and rose to be deputy commanding officer of the 2nd Bombardment Wing and commanding the 703d Bombardment Squadron from 1941 to 1947. He later transferred to the Air Force Reserve, and held various command positions until his retirement in 1968 as a brigadier general.

Jimmy Stewart had a deep love for music and could play the accordion. One day at his father’s hardware store, a customer didn’t have enough money to pay for his items, so the man traded in his accordion instead. In a scene that could be from It’s a Wonderful Life, the local barber then taught Stewart how to play the instrument.

Acting was not James Stewart’s only area of expertise. Growing up in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where his father owned a hardware store, Stewart had an artistic bent with an interest in music and earned his way into his father’s alma mater, Princeton University. There, he received a degree in architecture in 1932.

When Stuart won his best supporting actor Oscar for the “Philidepha Story” he sent it to his father. His Dad displayed it in his Indiana, PA, hardware store shop window for the next 25 years!

His best friend was probably Henry Fonda, whom he met while at acting camp. Early on they got into a fistfight over politics (Stewart was a very conservative Republican, Fonda a very liberal Democrat) that was won by Fonda, but they apparently never discussed politics again. When Fonda moved to Hollywood he lived with Stewart and the two gained a reputation as Hollywood’s biggest playboys. However, after each married and settled down, their children noted that their favorite activity when not working seemed to be silently painting model airplanes together.

His hair began receding during World War II. By the early 1950s he was wearing a toupee for all his movie roles, though he often went without it in public. His baldness was made less obvious by his wearing a gray toupee for many of his movie roles.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

1712 S Glendale Avenue

Glendale, California, 91205

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California

Grave Location:

Wee Kirk Churchyard, Space 2, Lot 8

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery stay to the left up the hill. At the first chance take a left and then another quick left. Drive approximately 100 feet and park. Look for the grave of Jimmy Stewart and his family about 7 rows from the road and 7 rows down the hill from the statue with the large concrete foundation.