Stephen Bishop McNutt

1972 - 2019

Stephen Bishop McNutt, age 47, died on Friday, July 5, at his home in Iowa City, surrounded by friends and family. He was born on March 31, 1972 in Los Angeles. Steve graduated Durham Academy and from Bucknell University. Steve served in the US Peace Corps in Gabon before moving to Iowa City to complete his MFA and PhD.

Steve called himself an exuberant typist, which many of us translated to brilliant writer. Whether writing a novel, an essay about a bike accident, or a news story about the pro-life movement in Kansas, Steve truly had a gift. Steve also called himself an occasional painter. Much of his work was abstract (and beautiful), and he painted several murals in Gabon, as part of his work as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His painting skills also came in handy after the election of 2016 when he made a NOPE sign that adorned the fence in his yard. The sign eventually became a t-shirt worn and loved by many.

Most recently, Steve worked as a Lecturer at the University of Iowa in the Department of Rhetoric, where he taught Rhetoric to undergraduate and honors students. The students appreciated his sense of humor and style (think: cowboy boots and a Star Wars t-shirt in combination with a Hawaiian shirt).

Steve loved the ocean, the outdoors, and fishing. He spent most of last summer in Hawai'i with his partner exploring the islands, scuba diving, searching for ulua (giant trevally), making friends with Hawaiian Monk Seals, and planning to relocate. He never quite got to the relocation part, but it was part of the plan until the very end.

Steve was preceded in death by his beloved dog Harlie, and is survived by his partner, Jessica Garlock, of Honolulu; his mother, Mary Beth Bishop of Durham, NC; his father and stepmother, Gordon and Kay McNutt of Austin; his half-siblings Russell and Louise of Austin; his Aunt Lolla McNutt Page of Austin, cousins Elizabeth Page Ryll of Atlanta and William Page of Austin; and extended family in Casper, Wyoming.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Iowa City Hospice or the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center.