Steward Jones

Steward Harvey Jones, 70, of Pleasant Grove, Alabama was reunited with his parents and siblings in Heaven on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 after a lengthy illness. He was preceded in death by his mother, Imogene Jones; father, Charles Lynwood Jones; brothers, “Butch” Charles Lynnwood Jones, Jr, Gregory Lee Jones, David Neal Jones; and sister, Jean Lynn Hunt Jones. He is survived by his son Taylor Lynwood Jones of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Steward "Stew" was born on Dec. 31, 1954 in Birmingham and grew up in Center Point. He was the ultimate optimist, easygoing, energetic and never said a harsh word. He lived a rich and successful life until health issues slowed him down.

Steward was active in music throughout school and was in the Erwin High School Marching Band drum corps. by Glen Campbell’s music inspired him to learn guitar and he became an accomplished musician. He loved singing, playing the guitar and piano, composing and recording his work. He could always be found, with a beer in hand, by following the music, especially rock and roll, and he had an extensive record collection.

Stew had a great sense of humor, and in high school he and friends took their favorite teacher’s Volkswagen Beetle apart and reassembled it in the school gym.

During college Stew began working in television production at EWTN and WVTM 13 in Birmingham and worked his way into promotions and news at the NBC station. He was an award-winning videographer, editor and producer. He loved traveling the state in Sky 13 working on the station’s weekly “13 Country” series. He worked with a variety of mediums, and many of his videos were seen on national news broadcasts. He was Chief Photographer at the station for several years before moving on to work as a news photographer at competing WBRC 6. He was later part of the inaugural staff that launched ABC 33/40 news and remained there until retirement.

Stew was highly regarded as an ultimate professional and a solid journalist. He was considered one of the best photographers in the state and was a hot commodity. Reporters at his stations would arrive at work early just so they could be first to request that he be assigned to work with them. He took great pride in being first on the scene for breaking news. He was happy to share his experience, coaching newer co-workers who were just learning the business. One of the highlights of his career was spending several days living aboard the USS Birmingham nuclear submarine off the coast of Hawaii covering its captain and crew ahead of its decommission.

After his health forced him to retire from more than 35 years in fast-paced, competitive newsrooms, Stew started the Songer-Jones Media production company and produced numerous commercial and non-profit projects around central Alabama. He was deeply proud of his work on “Our Mockingbird”, a documentary that explored the profound influence of Harper Lee's novel on individuals who pursued legal careers.

His array of interesting pastimes included flying RC helicopters and Stew loved shooting video while hanging out of real helicopters as part of his news coverage. He also enjoyed racing and working on slot cars and building model cars. He was fascinated with flight, science and space, which led to building and flying model rockets as a teenager. He was later a founding member of the Birmingham Rocket Boys model rocket club, spending many Saturdays in fields flying for fun and in competitions, and teaching school and scout groups about the hobby. He logged thousands of hours in his later years at his computer, flying the virtual skies on flight simulators.

Stew was an animal lover and was devoted to his rescue dogs and cats. He took great joy in creating elaborate Halloween decorations and interactive displays to thrill trick-or-treaters at his house. He spent many hours tending to his yard and flowers to make his home the gem of the neighborhood. He also loved scuba diving, tent camping, spending time at the beach and lake, riding bicycles, and piloting his sailboat.

Steward always said his greatest joy was fatherhood, which came to him late in life. His son learned the value of hard work from him, and they bonded over experiences he shared within his many hobbies.