Excerpts from the ChicagoSunTimes.com:
Scott Stewart’s home office is a gallery of memories. Photos from his career as a photographer and firefighter line three of the four walls. At 61, he was laid off in 2013 after 28 years with the Chicago Sun-Times, where he had worked as a photographer. Forced to return to his earlier career, he became a firefighter again.
Stewart comes from a long line of firefighters. His grandfather served in Rome, Georgia, and his uncle in Cave Springs. He grew up visiting Chicago firehouses on Sundays, thanks to his father's friendship with Fire Commissioner Robert J. Quinn. Tragedy struck early in his life—his father passed away when he was just 8, and his mother died when he was 16. That’s when Quinn, then head of the Chicago Civil Defense Fire and Rescue Division, encouraged him to volunteer. Over the next decade, Stewart rose to the rank of captain.
He met Cathy, his wife of 35 years, while both were volunteers—she with the Merrionette Park Fire Department. His love for photography began at age 8, when a neighbor named Fred Stein helped him develop his passion. Stein, a photographer for the Chicago Daily News, gave Stewart his first job in journalism.
In the 1970s, Stewart worked at Central Camera, where his boss let him open a credit line to buy his first camera. Not long after, he captured a dramatic scene when two CTA buses crashed near 55th and Hyde Park. He rushed to the scene, took photos, and sold them to several major publications, earning nearly $500—enough to pay off the store credit.
Stewart later studied photojournalism at Columbia College, graduating in 1977. He joined the Sun-Times as a darkroom technician before becoming a full-time photographer. One memorable moment came during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, when the president invited him onto Air Force One to congratulate him on the birth of his daughter.
His work covering Chicago violence eventually earned him a 2011 Pulitzer Prize. The iconic image showed a tense moment outside a liquor store, with children nearby and a gang member holding a gun. It was a powerful reminder of the city’s struggles.
After being laid off in 2013, Stewart found work at the Evergreen Park Fire Department as a photo unit leader, but he struggled to find steady photography work. He returned to firefighting, this time with the Merrionette Park Fire Department, where he was recently promoted to lieutenant. He also serves on the MABAS Division 21 Cause and Origin Team.
Life wasn’t easy. He once worked six jobs to make ends meet, but everything changed when he was diagnosed with a detached retina. After two surgeries and months of recovery, he was left without work and in financial trouble. An online fundraising campaign helped him get back on his feet.
Despite all the hardships, Stewart says he wouldn’t change a thing. He remains positive, driven by his love for photography, the fire department, and his wife, Cathy. He’s still a photographer at heart and a proud firefighter, finding a way to blend both passions into one meaningful life.
Thanks, Dan
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