only search W.R.W.W.   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.                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.