Sunday, May 5, 2024
After eight years with the city of Granbury and serving as the aviation director at the Granbury Regional Airport, Pat Stewart is ready to take flight on a new adventure.
From working 30-plus years in the aerospace industry to serving a vital role in the airport expansion project, Stewart is now preparing for full retirement in the sunny skies of Florida with his wife, Eloise.
To congratulate Stewart on his years of hard work and dedication with the city of Granbury, a retirement ceremony was held Dec. 14, with many community members and city leaders paying tribute — and making friendly, comedic jabs — to the beloved director.
Steven Vale, Granbury City Council member Place 5, explained that he began as an airport attendant in 2014, where he worked until 2021 until he filed for a seat on the council.
“Pat, we just thank you for everything. We’re gonna miss you guys — and can we come visit?” Vale said, which resulted in a room full of laughter.
Visit Granbury Director Tammy Dooley also reminisced on the time she played in a golf tournament with Stewart.
“I was saying, ‘Man, how do you ever get off around this place? Like, how do you take time off?’ and he said very important advice, which I love. You said, ‘Well, the only person that could change that is you,’ so I'll never forget that," Dooley said. "And then I also want to know why you never asked me to be on any future teams with you playing golf. That was my one shot at golf, and I evidently did not do that well, so we're going to miss you and your beautiful wife, Eloise, and I wish you guys all the best.”
Gary Hawkins, former aviation director, said when Stewart was applying for the job Hawkins, himself, was leaving. He described Stewart as being the “most overqualified person” he had ever seen in his life.
"He left Oklahoma State two years into his apprenticeship, I guess, as an engineer and went to work for Boeing in Seattle, and they promised him the world and gave it to him,” Hawkins said. "Pat, you've been a joy. Eloise, you obviously know what you're doing moving to Florida. But thank you so much for the fine, fine work that you did — and you spent all the money that I gave the city, $30 million.”
Former Mayor Pro-Tem Tony Mobly then thanked Hawkins for getting the Granbury Regional Airport to a “certain point,” as the city was looking to put the company in “good hands.”
"I think we made the right choice,” he said. “The most important thing — and everybody that was here back then knows — that the airport was not a slam dunk. It was a lot of arm-wrestling and trying to educate the public and council on the economic impact. The best feeling I get is when I see the numbers now, because I think we threw the forecast away a long time ago, because it's surpassed. We actually had to subsidize the airport back then, and now it's actually turning a profit.”
Former Mayor Nin Hulett explained that a few years ago, the city council had just undergone drama with the Granbury Opera House and then they were suddenly looking at expanding the airport runway.
“I said, ‘Man, I don’t know if I can take another deal like this at all, because there were people that didn’t believe we needed it,” Hulett said. “But when Pat came on board and took this thing on, Pat said, ‘I got this,’ and when he talked about that, I’d go back to Chris (Coffman) and go, ‘Where did we get this guy? This guy is overqualified by far.’ Pat, I want to thank you for making my life, and really the council’s life, really pleasant going through this whole thing because you did a great job and I’ll always remember you taking the bull by the horns and taking this thing on and putting it together.”
Jackie Vaughn, chair of the Granbury Regional Airport Advisory Board, said he started flying out of the airport in the late 1990s and then later owned a small business in the mid 2000s. He explained that he watched the airport grow from only having one employee to what it is now.
"You've just done an amazing job, and it's been an honor to serve on the airport board,” Vaughn said. “And even though we're an advisory board, you allowed us to have input and we've had some good people that served on the board, and we still do. I just want to thank you for all that you've allowed us to be a part of, and for what you've done for the city.”
John Roberts, former operations supervisor, said Stewart had first applied for Roberts’ job, adding that he also described Stewart as being “way overqualified.” After some discussion with Hawkins, Roberts recommended Stewart to the city, and said he is “so thankful that they did” just because of the successful updates Stewart has done for the Granbury Regional Airport since then.
"At the airport, you may or may not know it, but people fly everywhere, looking around, checking out our city,” Roberts said. “For many years, I would talk to people, and they would look at this planned-in-the-future runway that we had, and they would ask me, ‘When are we going to get started?’ And I'd say, ‘Well, it's still pending.’ They were actually looking for a place to plant businesses. At that time, I knew that we were going to hit — if we ever built that runway — a home run, and we got a 30-year plan. We have already — since that airport has been completed — blew past the five-year plan. It's amazing. The city and the people that live in this county really don't know that, and somehow, we as individuals that have knowledge need to share it with those that don't, so I'll challenge you with that. Pat, I'm gonna miss you, but you've already told me that there's a place to park my RV.”
Cody Mathis, the incoming aviation director, said he has been fortunate to have the opportunity to shadow Stewart for nearly a month, adding that he quickly became his friend.
"It's a situation where I can see why so many people like you,” Mathis said. “Never mind your accomplishments, which are enormous. But I've enjoyed spending time with you and learning from you, and you've really helped me transition from the commercial side of aviation to the GA side, and albeit in a very short amount of time. Thank you. I appreciate your time.”
Hawkins then brought up how recently, he witnessed the “biggest dad gum jet” he had ever seen in his life fly over the top of his house, as it was heading toward the Granbury Regional Airport.
"I almost broke out into tears,” he said. “I told myself, ‘That's what we tried to build for years.’”
He also brought up a snake story, which Stewart felt the need to chime in regarding his own experience.
“So, I'm opening up the King Air hangar one day, and as the door comes up off the surface, there's a rubber membrane there, and as this door comes up, a six-foot rattlesnake goes right by me,” Stewart said. “I was so stunned, I didn't move; that's probably a good thing, but I'm afraid he's going to go up in the wheel well, so the owner pulls up in his car and I'm like ‘Bruce, there's a rattlesnake right there,’ so we started tugging, we pull it out and the snake wraps itself around the front axle of the truck. We're pulling it out and finally, it lets loose.”
After shooting and killing the snake, Stewart explained how during the next staff meeting, Hawkins tells Mitch Galvan, Granbury Chief of Police, that they shot a snake at the airport.
“Just trying to be honest,” Hawkins chimes in.
"Allegedly, Mitch tells Gary, ‘You tell Pat that he'll get fined if he does that again.’ I told Gary point blank, ‘You go tell Mitch a rattlesnake comes by me again, I'm gonna shoot it and he can fine me.’”
City Manager Chris Coffman then spoke, stating the city owes Stewart its “heartfelt gratitude,” not only from the staff, but from the residents who have watched them build the airport.
"The way he did it, well-established and built credibility with our organization as a whole,” Coffman said. "Maybe you don't know it, but he was vice president of the Rolls Royce engine division for American Airlines. I don't know how many years, but he had a $660 million budget that he administered, so running our airport is kind of like a hobby to this guy. Like they said, he's overqualified to do what he did for us. The citizens have stood back and watched us spend $16.4 million of grant money and about that much of taxpayer money on that facility, and then seeing the economic impact and the results that that's bringing in, it's huge, and we just can't thank you enough for that. We're sad you're leaving, though, because you've done so much for us in that part, but more than anything, you've become a great friend to all of us, and that's more valuable than anything.”
Coffman then quoted a phrase spoken by Clarence the angel during the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which states, “No one is a failure if he has friends.”
“Pat, you’re a huge picture of success, you got tons of friends, you can count on us to remain your friends, and we just love you to death,” Coffman said.
He added that Stewart’s attention to details made a difference to his career, along with his professionalism and passion.
“What can I say? You're a successful, retired, American Airlines executive that spent the best of time in our little airport and blessed us, so we are recipients of your blessing, and thank you for that,” Coffman concluded.
Stewart was then presented with a gift card and a plaque for his commitment and excellence.
In his speech, Stewart said the airport project had been “outstanding,” but it wasn’t just because of him — it was because of his team.
“A lot of people throughout every department in this city were all working together with one goal,” Stewart said. “I was just one of the guys that was part of that team, so thank you all.”
He explained how his retirement plan led to him becoming the aviation director at the Granbury Regional Airport. He worked in a high-stress industry, so he had a plan to retire at 56. Luckily, he was able to meet that goal and pull the plug. However, before he could, his wife, Eloise, told him, “You can’t not go to work. You’re not wired that way.”
Stewart came up with three job possibilities to help him stay busy following retirement: work in the hardware department at Home Depart, get a job in the municipal airport, or to get on staff at a municipal golf course.
One day, a friend wanted to introduce Stewart to Hawkins, the city’s then-aviation director. Hawkins told him, “John Roberts just gave me his resignation. You need to apply for this job.” The rest, Stewart said, was history.
“Gary retired a couple of years later and the city asked me to come on board and take up this runway project,” he said. “That runway project was the challenge. It's what kept me coming to work every day, and doing everything I could to make it successful, but again, it wasn't me; it was the team."
Stewart also thanked the city staff, as he had worked for several big corporations in the past and said the Granbury city staff is the best he’s ever worked with.
He also honored his “boss” Michael Ross, deputy city manager for the city of Granbury, by saying Ross was the guy he depended on.
Stewart added, "Michael, you are a great leader and inspiration, and thank you.”
Mathis will replace Stewart as aviation director of the Granbury Regional Airport. He comes to Granbury from the Waco Regional Airport, where he has been operations manager since 2018. His professional aviation career began in Houston in 2006, followed by leadership positions in Shreveport and Dallas.
Mathis is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives and is certified as an airport security coordinator. Mathis earned a B.S. in aviation management from Louisiana Tech University.
“Granbury is already known as the 'Friendliest Little Airport in Texas.’ That matches my personality and is a reflection of my passion for advancing and promoting the aviation community. I am excited for the opportunity to build on what Stewart and Granbury’s management team has already accomplished,” Mathis said, in a previous news release.
Mathis said he has “…had a love for airplanes since I was a kid.” As a self-proclaimed history buff, he is looking forward to exploring Granbury’s past with his wife and four children. All the kids have aviation-inspired first names; the youngest is Amelia, as in “Earhart.”
