Stewart L. Tubbs age 79 passed away Saturday, February 18, 2023, in Ann Arbor. He was born on September 6, 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio, son of Edwin and Mary Tubbs. On August 21, 1965 he married Gail Sheahan in Rocky River, Ohio. A graduate of Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Ohio in 1961, he held a B.S. in Biological Sciences (1965) and an M.A. (1966) from Bowling Green State University. His Ph.D. in Communication and Organizational Behavior was from the University of Kansas in 1969.
Together for over sixty years and married for fifty-seven years, he was the beloved husband of his high school sweetheart Gail, who lives in Ann Arbor. He is also survived by the other loves of his life, his son Brian Christian Tubbs, grandson Connor, granddaughter Charlotte of Grosse Pointe Woods, his daughter Kelly Sheahan Campbell, son-in law John Campbell,, granddaughter Katherine and grandson James of St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also survived by sister Dorothy Brown of Matteson, Illinois.
Always dedicated to his students, he had served as the Darrell H. Cooper Endowed Professor of Leadership in the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University since 1999. He served as Dean of the College of Business from 1986-1999. Earlier, he served as Associate Dean of the College of Business at Boise State University, and prior to that Chairman of the Management Department at Boise State University. He was the author or co-author of more than 30 books and numerous professional articles and papers on various aspects of leadership and communication. His most famous books were, Human Communication (McGraw-Hill), A Systems Approach to Small Group Interaction (McGraw-Hill), and Keys to Leadership: 101 Steps to Success (McGraw-Hill). He had also taught as a visiting professor at Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey from 2002-2010.
He began his career at the University of Kansas serving as the Assistant Director of Community Leadership Development in 1968. He switched to his first love, teaching, in 1969 as an Assistant Professor of Communication and Organizational Behavior at General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in Flint, MI. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1970 and Professor in 1974. In 1979 he was named the Harold P. Rodes Professor. He taught at GMI until 1983 when he moved to Boise State University, in Boise, Idaho.
Dr. Tubbs was the recipient of thirteen awards for outstanding teaching. He was named to the Lakewood High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, and in 1994 received the “Outstanding Leadership Award” from the Academy of Business Administration in London, England. He wrote a newspaper column entitled “Insights” for the Ann Arbor Regional Business to Business from 1995 to 2007, and served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies. He served as a Trustee and later Emeritus Trustee of the Eastern Michigan University Foundation Board from 1993 until the present. From 2000 to 2003 he served on the Bowling Green State University Alumni Board of trustees. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Regents of Baker College’s Graduate and On-line Program in Flint from 2000-2003. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School.
Dr. Tubbs enjoyed spending his free time traveling, especially to his favorite place, Maui, where he enjoyed several wonderful family trips. He also enjoyed rooting for his favorite basketball team, the Kansas City Jay Hawks. His family remembers him as a man of great optimism always living out his “abundance mentality” in his everyday life. He lived with an ‘attitude of gratitude', even as his health deteriorated. He loved daily long walks and music. As a young man, he sang in a barbershop quartet and remained lifelong friends with his fellow bandmates, the “Caravan Club”. Later in life, he sang in the Handel’s Messiah choir for several years. Stu was a gentle person and loved animals, especially his family’s multiple cats. He was a voracious reader of books and newspapers, always thinking about how to revise his books and lectures to be current. He loved cars and loved driving, especially his convertibles and many sports cars. On weekends, he and Gail enjoyed going out for burgers and a movie for years, often with their best friends, Robin and Suzanne Widgery. His family, friends, colleagues and students will never forget the many wise lessons he taught them.
Dr. Tubbs was preceded in death by his mother Mary, father Edwin, brother Edwin, and beloved daughter-in-law Michelle.
A visitation for Dr. Tubbs will be held Sunday, March 12, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Muehlig Funeral Chapel, 403 S 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104. A funeral service will occur Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 12:00 PM, 403 S 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104. A luncheon will be held at the funeral home immediately following the funeral service.
The Tubbs’s would like to thank Mo Jajah and Korry Johnson, who provided years of loving, gentle care for Stu and enabled him to live at home with the love of his life, Gail.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr.Tubbs's memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.muehligannarbor.com for the Tubbs family.
To view the livestream of Dr. Tubbs's service please click on the following link https://youtube.com/live/1_Fp3VUBImM?feature=share
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