Stuart Freedman Obituary, Death –We are reaching out to share the sad news of the demise of our beloved friend Stuart with you with heavy hearts. It is because of the man, husband, father, friend, leader, and mentor that he was that he will be remembered and cherished forever. His zeal and commitment have made a difference in a great number of people’s lives all across the world.
Stuart’s passion for cutting faceted stones was the impetus for the founding of Fire Mountain Gems and Beads in 1973.
As an engineer, he found enjoyment in the study of gemology, optics, and angles. It was finally time to sell the completed stones after they had filled an entire garage with their finished product. Over the course of the past half century, he and his wife Chris have transformed a jewelry-making supplies business that began in their garage as a pastime activity into an international enterprise.
He embarked on a journey around the world in search of jewelry-making supplies, during which he established enduring friendships and business relationships.
Because of the work he has done throughout his life, he has been able to bring together a community consisting of designers, artists, suppliers, and employees from all over the world. Stuart was the embodiment of our company motto, which read “Changing the World One Bead at a Time.” Those of us who had the opportunity to collaborate with Stuart will forever remember and love his enormous heart, sense of humor, intelligence, and generosity with both his time and his expertise.
We will miss him strolling through the building and always making time for a nice story, a laugh, or some advice. We will miss him walking through the building. Stuart made it a priority to spend the majority of his time with his devoted wife, as well as his family and friends. This was in spite of the fact that he was committed to the firm and the people who worked there. His love of animals, including his horses and dogs (the Rhodesian ridgebacks were some of our favorite coworkers over the years), brought him a great deal of happiness throughout his life.
This following year will mark the 50th anniversary of Fire Mountain Gems & Beads, and Stuart was more enthused than anybody else about the occasion. We would be very grateful if you could come celebrate with us in his honor. We all share the hope that we may continue his legacy by being kind to others and being creative in whatever we do. The community of people who make jewelry will continue to exist even after Stuart’s passing because his memory will continue to inspire both our day-to-day business and our friendly customer service.