Obituaries : Leighton R. Stewart; Educator, District Leader

Leighton R. Stewart, a longtime Ventura County educator, died Monday in Ojai. He was 97.

Stewart was born in Fort Worth, Tex., and moved to California in 1906. He graduated from Whittier College in 1922. Shortly afterward he began a teaching career that spanned more than 35 years, interrupted only by his service as a U.S. Army master gunner during World War II.

Stewart served as principal and district superintendent at Saticoy School from 1931 through 1941, when he accepted the position of principal and district superintendent of Simi Elementary and later Santa Susana Elementary.

He retired from education in 1958.

He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and was awarded the Scouting Silver Beaver award in 1952. He also served as Sunday school superintendent for the Simi Valley Methodist Church from 1942 to 1945.

He is survived by two sons, Leighton Stewart of Yucca Valley and Malcom Stewart of Bakersfield; a daughter, Marjorie Stewart of Ventura; four grandchildren, JoAnn Stark of Ventura, Lauria Simington of Simi Valley, Kathryn Stewart of Costa Mesa and Sharon Reagan of Sacramento; and six great-grandchildren.

Private funeral arrangements are under the direction of Charles Carroll Funeral Home in Ventura. The family asks that contributions be made to the Simi Valley Historical Society.