Stuart Savery (Terms of Office) 1952-1954, 1956-1958
Stuart attended school in Denver graduating from East High School. He was a member of the East High School Elite Senate Debating Club. In early 1930 he moved to California to work as a bookkeeper for his family-owned company, “Golden State Mushroom.” He served as the plant manager from 1937 through 1942.
Stu registered for the WWII draft in California and felt strongly that he could serve his county best by volunteering for the Civil Air Patrol which became a civilian auxiliary unit of the Army Air Corp in 1941. In 1943 he married Ruth May Priest and in 1945 they purchased a home at 9720 North Federal Boulevard. The Saverys had four children - three sons, Robert, Alfred, and William, and one daughter, Susannah. Their children attended District #50 schools.
After a 1952 nomination as a candidate for Mayor, Savery sent a letter to North Federal Heights voters outlining his ideas of good policy in the event he was elected. He won the election and on May 5, 1952, Stuart was sworn in as the fourth Mayor of Federal Heights joining Town Board members Harvey Cook, Robert Foster, Wallace Steadman, John Thomson, Ruth Thomson and Hiram Wolverton.
During his two-year term, Mayor Savery worked with his Town Board to re-finance water bonds at a lower interest rate of three and three-quarters percent and worked for rigid enforcement of collection of water bills. During this time, a sink and restrooms were installed in the Town Hall and the Town joined the Colorado Municipal League. The Town granted a 10-year lease of fire department equipment to the Volunteer Fire Department at a rate of $1/year. Mayor Savery recommended that the Town Board employ an attorney to determine the proper procedure for adopting ordinances. Other issues addressed by the Town Board during Savery’s 1952-1954 term included water meters, liquor licenses, filling of an old water well with rock and/or dirt, gravel for roads, building permits, regulating trailers and trailer courts, padlocks on town toilets and natural gas service in Federal Heights.
Savery was elected as Mayor again in 1956, the sixth Mayor of Federal Heights, serving with Town Board members Sterling Bartholomew, Creal Butters, Robert Foster, Dorcie Gray, Robert Povich and William Sammons. During his second term as Mayor he and his Town Board sought solutions for the sanitary problems that were developing from septic tanks and outhouses. Eight ordinances were adopted including those addressing a criminal code, establishing a board of health, adopting a building code, regulating shallow water wells, an annexation and a franchise agreement with Public Service Company of Colorado. Stu served on the advisory board for the Broomfield Heights Community Hospital. In his second to last meeting as Mayor on April 7, 1958, bills were presented to the Town Board in the amount of $1,708.53. Savery advised the Town Board that the Town did not have enough cash in the general fund for the payment of all the bills. The Board voted that the amount due for two of the bills "be deferred until funds were available."
Besides his service to Federal Heights as a two-term Mayor, Savery served in other capacities as well:
- 1954-1956 - Town Clerk
- 1958 - Town Bookkeeper
- 1960-1962 Town Board Member
- 1962 Town Bookkeeper
- 1965-1968 Town Board Member
- 1968-1970 Town Clerk
- 1972 Town Treasurer
On May 7, 1974, Savery was presented with his first Fireman’s Pension Check. Mayor James Craddock recognized him for his 28 years of continuous service to the volunteer fire department and to Federal Heights.
Stuart Savery passed away August 30, 1978 and was buried near his parents at Fairmont Cemetery in Denver. Ruth passed away on February 13, 2003.
Savery’s sons said they would like their father
to be remembered for his love of family and country,
service to the community, and faith in God.