William Cree Steward Obituary
William Cree Steward, 72, beloved husband of Jeannine (Petronis) Steward of Norwalk, CT passed away peacefully on April 4, 2025, at New York Presbyterian Hospital, surrounded by his wife and children. Born in Meadville, PA, to the late Edwin and Ruth Lydia (Reiter) Steward, Bill - as he was known - lived a life rich in adventure, knowledge, and above all, family.
A true renaissance man, Bill's remarkable journey began as a botanist leading expeditions to the Amazon, collecting plants for the New York Botanical Garden. His curious mind and love of learning led him through an extraordinary career path from botanist to fundraiser, C programmer and lecturer to systems designer, and finally as a CFO. Yet when asked about his favorite job, he would always reply with a smile that it was his time as a custodian at his alma mater, Kalamazoo College.
Bill's passion for languages was unmatched. Fluent in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and German, with abilities in Italian and Russian, he had a love of conversation, sense of humor, and a genuine interest in others that made him a valued friend.
He took the greatest pride in his role as husband and father. He was the dad who woke up early on weekends to make pancakes, who introduced his children to the fine art of clamming, and who meticulously preserved the extended family history through photographs.
In addition to his wife Jeannine, Bill is survived by their children, Kathleen, Rebecca, Gail, and Alexander, who were his greatest joy and legacy. He is also survived by his brothers, Robert Steward and John Steward, their wives, Dian and Betsy, his nieces and nephews, and the extended family of Stewards, Joslins and Reiters.
His family extends heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate doctors, nurses, and other support staff at New York Presbyterian Hospital who ensured his comfort and peace in his final days.
A Mass of Catholic Burial will be celebrated at 10AM on Wednesday, April 23rd, at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, 279 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT.
In lieu of flowers, his family asks that a memorial gift in his name be made online to either of these organizations: Pulmonary Fibrosis Research at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University. Gifts may be noted "in memory of William Steward for Genetic Lung Disease Research".
Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem Foundation in Washington, DC. Gifts may be noted "in memory of William Steward".
