Charles "Walt" Walter Stewart

Charles Walter Stewart (Walt) of Northbrook, near Unionville, Chester County, PA, died March 18, 2025. He was born November 28, 1937 at Germantown Hospital in Philadelphia PA. He was the son of the late Frances Darlington Stewart and John Roy Stewart. He is survived by his sister Margaret Stewart Perla, of Wayne, PA, two nephews, John Lane Perla of Collegeville, PA and James Perla Stewart of Phoenixville, PA, and 6 great nieces and great nephews.

He lived and was educated in Philadelphia through 7th grade, having attended Houston School and William Penn Charter School. In 8th–10th grades he lived in Falls Church and Arlington, Virginia, and attended St. Stephen's School. In 11th and 12th grade he attended and graduated from Coronado High School, Coronado, CA. From there he attended Cornell University, obtaining a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering Degree in 1960. At Cornell he was a member of Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi.

On graduation he was commissioned Ensign USNR, and was stationed for 6 months at US Naval Ordnance Laboratory, Corona, California, and then spent 2 years aboard the USS William R. Rush DDR 714 as Electronics Material Officer, and also as an officer of the deck, finishing out that time off the coast of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, for which he received a letter of Commendation.

After leaving active duty he worked for 7 months for New York Ship Building Corporation in Camden, NJ as a project engineer on the nuclear power plant primarily of the USS Truxtun, DLGN (35). He then began a long career with the Insurance Company of North American, which subsequently merged with Connecticut General, to form CIGNA. For the first 3 years Walt was in the ocean marine underwriting training program, with the first year being spent in New York City, and the remainder in Philadelphia. Walt then transferred to the Actuarial Department, completing the examinations to become a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society in 1972. Walt went on to become Vice President and Senior Actuary, retiring when CIGNA Property Casualty sold to ACE in Bermuda June 30, 1999. Walt was involved in all aspects of the Actuarial Department over time, including pricing, reserving, systems, statistical reporting, research, recruiting and actuarial development. He was also active in various professional and industry committees.

When Walt returned to Insurance Company of North America in 1965 in Philadelphia, he jointly purchased with his parents a small farm in Northbrook Chester County, near Unionville, PA for the express purpose of being able to foxhunt. He continued to live there until his death. He was a regular follower of the Brandywine Hounds for 35 years, though he also hunted with a few other packs of hounds, most notably the West Chester Hunt. In 2008 he joined and was an active follower of the Skycastle French Hounds, a foot pack hunting rabbits in Chester County.

He also enjoyed music of many types, theater, drama, reading widely, television, exercise (including cutting the grass and shoveling snow), swimming, writing, computers, amateur radio (having become an amateur radio operator at age 13 and having built some of his own equipment).

For nearly 9 years after retiring from CIGNA Property and Casualty, Walt was the primary caregiver for his mother, until her death in February 2008. In addition to being a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, he was also a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He was a life and 50-year member of The Union League of Philadelphia, as well as being a member of The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire. While eventually becoming a secular humanist, he was a birthright Member of the Religious Society of Friends, and remained a member of Green Street Monthly Meeting of Friends in Philadelphia.

In addition to foxhunting and other country things, over time Walt developed more and more interest in various so called progressive causes, such as drug decriminalization and legalization, as well as treatment of drug addiction, HIV/AIDS prevention and cure, gay marriage, civil liberties.

While Walt never married, he did have a relationship with Angel Gabriel Lopez-Nieves for a time before Mr. Lopez's untimely death in January, 2014.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Walt's memory may be made to the Drug Policy Alliance.

Graveside service is public and being handled by Kuzo Funeral Home of Kennett Square. Interment is at Birmingham Lafayette Cemetery in Birmingham Township, Chester County PA on Monday March 31st 2025 at 11:00 AM.

Arrangements by Kuzo Funeral Home of Kennett Square, PA.