River Advocate Ron Stewart Obituary

Mr. Stewart was born October 25, 1949, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Ron majored in math and physics at Tulane, won the senior physics prize, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to earn his master's degree in physics at the University of Maryland. His first teaching position was with the Maret School in Washington, D.C. instructing math and physics. Then, in 1981, he joined the faculty of Baylor School. During his 26 years at Baylor, he taught math, was a baseball coach, kayak instructor, dorm parent, and has been the head of Baylor’s math department since 1993. His vivacious nature, his passion for learning, and his dedication to his profession has shaped Baylor and thousands of young lives in a way that can not be duplicated.

Ron was one of the nation’s most prominent whitewater kayakers as both an explorer of rivers and as an advocate of the wild and scenic. He was responsible for the earliest complete runs of Cain Creek in the North Chickamauga Creek watershed, Bear Creek of Cloudland Canyon, and several others. As a past board member of both American Whitewater and the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, Ron spent many tireless years negotiating access, water releases, and public land acquisition on behalf of the whitewater community and general public. Notable achievements include negotiating access to creeks on public and private land in the southeast, helping gain water releases on Tallulah gorge in GA., and fifteen years of tireless effort that was instrumental to the protection of thousands of acres in the North Chickamauga creek watershed near Chattanooga. His actions and writings have been chronicled in newspapers, magazines, journals, and videos. In October 2007, Ron received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Whitewater organization in recognition for his long-time dedication to the preservation and access of whitewater rivers.

In recognizing Ron for the Lifetime Achievement Award the AW website posted the following:

Ron (pictured at right with Sutton Bacon and Kevin Colburn) has spent the past two decades working to protect the rivers near his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Ron has played instrumental roles in securing releases on the Tallulah River, protecting over 10,000 acres along the classic North Chickamauga Creek, protecting the Savage Gulf area from new dams and pipelines, and securing access to North Georgia's Bear Creek and many Walden's Ridge creeks.  Ron's passion for saving these wonderful places and experiences was no doubt forged by his many first descents and explorations throughout the southeast. 

In addition to this impressive body of volunteer work, Ron has also introduced countless people to the intricacies of creek boating through his high school math classes, paddling trips, and written stories.  Ron was an AW regional coordinator and board member during the majority of the 1990's.

Mr. Stewart is survived by Lorraine Peninguy Stewart, his wife of 28 years; daughter, Michelle Peninguy Stewart; son, Jeffrey Peninguy-Stewart; mother, Mollie Stewart of Shreveport; sister, Jan Taylor of Shreveport; and nephew, Danny Harrison. Preceding him in death was his father, Q.L. Stewart and brother, Bill Stewart. Ron shared his life adventures with many friends.

The family requests that donations be made to the Baylor Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers.