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Ron Stewart 1949-2008
Photo collage donated by Robert
Harrison
My
memories of Ron…
I’ll
always remember Ron looking at me dead in the eye at the Bear put-in at 18", and
telling me my life was about to change forever, and that my definition of
runnable (we were still in long boats)… was about to change…and boy was he
right…it was mind blowing and Ron loved to show others what he discovered.
I’ll
remember our First Descent of Henderson Creek on seeing the gleam in his eyes as
he peeled out and then he styled Spinal Adjustment.
Looking
back I remember my trip with him and Tom Tohill on the Crooked Fork at a
ridiculous level (I think it was 8500 and rising) and Tom and I getting worked
in holes and Ron just be-bopping along like it was nothing and floating above it
all and clearing the
drops…as we landed hard as a rock on Lower Potters... Ron just smiled…it’s a look
I’ll never forget his smile was contagious.
I’ll
always remember him inviting me along when no one else was willing to take a
chance, his profession was teaching, and he was a teacher away from the class
room; also I learned a lot from Ron, on and off the river.
Back in
the day it seemed Ron and I were in a friendly competition on who could get the
next first descent, and Ron was always first the to congratulate us on our new
discoveries, he was a pioneer in every sense of the word, he loved to discover
as much as he could and was willing to share his experiences.
I always
admired Ron for his fortitude for continuing on and pushing the sport even
further after his friend Mike died on Suck Creek on their paddling trip, Ron had a lot of inner
strength, although his physical stature was small, he has left big shoes to
fill, and a was a giant among paddlers.
My best
memory of Ron was his environmental work and him helping to stop the Pump
Storage project that would have ruined and dammed the Rock Creek watershed area on Walden’s
Ridge. As usual we have Ron to thank, looking back I’ll remember the “secret
meetings” we had at the Canoe the Sequatchie canoe rental livery…and trying to stop the project,
he remained calm as usual in those meetings while everyone else in the room was
emotional….Ron help them keep it all in perspective and stay on the job on hand.
Ron also
worked thankless hours with the BoWater paper company to help secure the lands around the North
Chick area, way before the State Park was even thought of…he was a visionary.
Ron
touched a lot of boaters, next time you are on Bear and you wondered where those
names came from... for the rapids…they came from Ron.
Here is a picture of Ron...Like I said his smile was
contagious.
![45351561_vJxLs-M[1]](http://kayakwesty.smugmug.com/photos/269485461_EbiXR-M.jpg "45351561_vJxLs-M[1]")
Ron you
are sadly missed…
To learn more about
Ron
CLICK HERE
To see some of his
work, look for his name...he was a busy man
CLICK HERE
Here is his official obituary for those who didn't know
him. For those who did, we have lost a friend, for the paddling community we
have lost a legend.
Dennis Ronald “Ron”
Stewart
Ron Stewart paddled
his last river on
March 22nd at his
home on the campus
of Baylor School in
Chattanooga, Tn. Along
the way he inspired
generations of all
ages.
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 rarely
awarded Lifetime
Achievement Award
from the American
Whitewater
organization in
recognition for his
long-time dedication
to the preservation
and access of
whitewater rivers.
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.
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