Edwin Clark Stewart

Edwin Clark Stewart died on Sunday, January 15, 2023, at the age of 91, with his wife and daughters at his side. He and his identical twin brother were the youngest of four sons of W. Denning and Margaret Thorp Stewart of Edgewood, PA, a lovely small town seven miles east of Pittsburgh.

Educated until the 10th grade in Edgewood, Ed graduated from the Philips Exeter Academy in 1950. He began college at Bowdoin and transferred to Cornell University, graduating with honors in Economics in 1955, one of 17 Thorp-Stewart Cornell graduates. He received an MBA from Harvard in 1957. His most important act during his Cornell years was his marriage to Marian Roberta (Bobbsie) Depue of Summit, New Jersey on June 24, 1954.

All but one year of his employment experience was in the financial industry. After achieving partnership in a local Pittsburgh firm in 1968, he was early to recognize the change in their outlook and moved to Wall Street, spending the last 21 years of his career in New York, achieving senior management positions at his last two firms. His final 12 years were at J&W Seligman where he became a respected research manager and shareholder. He retired in late April 1989.

Ed and Bobbsie raised their two daughters in Summit, NJ and then retired to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In 1998 they moved to Amelia Island, Florida where sadly Bobbsie was diagnosed with cancer and died on May 15, 2000, one month before their 46th anniversary. After her passing, Ed had the good fortune to be told that he should call on Iris Van Wyk, an attractive brunette who was also recently widowed. He called her twice and the rest is history. They were married in 2002 on Amelia Island where they lived until moving to the Landings on Skidaway Island (Georgia) and then to Savannah Square.

Ed was an avid sports lover. He played varsity basketball at both Exeter and Bowdoin. He was a fabulous bowler, achieving the rank of club ten-pin champion for 15 consecutive years. He stayed in good physical health for many of his years due in part to his commitment to walking and jogging. Ed was a lifelong fan of all three Pittsburgh professional teams. His love affair with the New York Knicks took place during its glorious 1967-1976 period, years in which he enjoyed their two championships (1970 & 1973). In his final years he filled his time with family, tending to financial matters and books. His iPad was always by his side enabling him to enjoy the writings of Clavell, DeMille, Follett, Jakes, Michener, and Irwin Shaw as well as the more erudite offerings of authors such as Caro, Chernow, Ferguson, Goodwin, McCullough, Peterson and anything from the Oxford History group.

Ed is survived by his wife Iris, his two daughters Sherrerd Ann Stewart and Susan Stewart Rasmussen (Eric), three grandsons Thayer, Geoffrey and Brent (Paige), and his great-granddaughter Adrienne Jane, whom he was fortunate to meet and hold during Thanksgiving. Ed developed a loving relationship with Iris’s three daughters Cindy Covil (Don), Carolyn Keziah and Lori Lynah (Beau) and their growing families.

Ed proudly created scholarship funds at Exeter and Cornell in memory of his mother and two oldest brothers. He also was instrumental in creating a fund in memory of his late wife at The Learning Circle (YMCA) in Summit NJ which supports Bobbsie’s House. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Ed’s name to the Learning Circle, to Skidaway Community Church (formerly Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church), or to any charity that you feel is appropriate.

The Stewart family would like to thank the wonderful doctors and nurses and aides at St. Joseph’s Candler for their gentle hands, gentle voices and kind souls during the last few days of Ed’s life.

A memorial service in Ed’s memory will be held at Skidaway Community Presbyterian Church in Savannah on January 28, 2023 at 2:00 pm, followed by a reception at the church.

Ed will be buried in Pittsburgh in Allegheny Cemetery next to his late wife in the Stewart family plot.

Services have been entrusted to Gamble Funeral Service.
410 Stephenson Ave.
Savannah, GA 31405