Alison STEWART Obituary

STEWART, Alison Mary (nee Ford). September 2, 1946 - November 26, 2024. Alison Stewart, wife of David Stewart and mother of Jane, Morag and Colin Stewart, died peacefully on November 26, 2024, at the age of 78, after a short battle with cancer. Alison was born on September 2, 1946, to Jack and Mary Ford in Feilding, New Zealand, and grew up with three brothers. She received a general Bachelor of Arts, a Masters degree in French, and a teaching certificate from the universities of Auckland, Otago, and Waikato, respectively. Alison married her husband, David, in 1972; they honeymooned in Southeast Asia and Europe, before working in London and then in Zambia for three years. In 1976, they returned to New Zealand, where they had their two daughters, and in 1980, they moved to Canada, where they had their son. From there, Alison and her family lived in numerous towns and cities in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Texas; her final home was Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. Alison worked as both a teacher and a teacher-librarian until her fifties, after which she volunteered as an archivist for various organizations. Alison was a great lover of language, and always had a stack of books and crosswords at hand. She was passionate about travel, and planned detailed itineraries for her and David's trips to New Zealand, the UK, the US, Peru, India, Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, and within Canada. She loved watching tennis and figure skating, was an avid gardener, and an active member of numerous groups including bookclub, bridge, quilting, bird watching, and their church. Alison is survived by her husband, David; her children, Jane (Matt), Morag, and Colin (Sonia); her two grandchildren, Anders and Freyja; her brother, Stewart; and her sister-in-law, Ruth. In lieu of flowers, donations to Doctors without Borders would be appreciated.