Susannah Stewart

Susannah Childress Stewart of Montgomery, Alabama passed away peacefully on September, 23 2022 at the age of 81. She was born September 4, 1941 to John Harris Childress, Jr and Annie Mae Daniell Childress in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Marietta, Georgia. She attended boarding school for high school and was a 1959 graduate of St. Mary’s School, Sewanee, Tennessee. She cherished her time at St. Mary’s and had many precious memories of the nuns and fellow students, who were more like sisters than friends. She was May Queen her Senior year and was involved in drama, modern dance, chorus and cheerleading. It was in Sewanee where she met her future husband, William Craig Stewart, who was a student at The University of the South.

Susannah attended Georgia State College for Women for one year before leaving school to marry her beloved Billy on February 4, 1961. She loved traveling the world as an Air Force wife, supporting her husband and raising her three children. In addition to being a homemaker, she taught pre-school on Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan and Gunter Air Force Base Montgomery, Alabama. After all her children were of school age, Susannah went back to college, initially at Troy University Montgomery, then Auburn University Montgomery, completing both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a certification in Early Childhood Education. She was a teacher at Maxwell Air Force Base Elementary School, teaching pre-K, Kindergarten and fifth grade during her more than 20-year career with the Department of Defense and cherished the opportunity to interact with, educate, and influence children.

Susannah was a life-long Episcopalian. She sang in the choir for many years at the various Episcopal churches the family attended during their Air Force years. She was a pilgrim in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Cursillo #69 and completed the four-year curriculum of the Education for Ministry (EfM) program through the University of the South School of Theology. At the time of her death, she was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church. She loved to paint, sew, quilt, crochet, read, and work in her yard growing plants and vegetables.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 61 years Lt. Col. (Ret.) William Craig Stewart of Montgomery, AL, son William Eric Stewart (Amy) of Midlothian, TX, daughter Judge (Ret.) Tracy S. McCooey (Michael) of Spearfish, SD, daughter Dr. Rebecca Stewart Miller (Keith) of Montgomery, AL, grandchildren William Allen Stewart, Keith Stewart Miller, Jr, Emma Katherine Stewart, and Susannah Parkman Miller, sister Elizabeth Childress Reynolds (Joe) of Marietta, GA, and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother John Harris Childress, III, and grandson Daniel Glenn Stewart.

A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Montgomery, AL, on Saturday, November 12 at 11 AM with visitation beginning at 10 AM. A private interment will take place at St. James Episcopal Church, Marietta, GA. The family would like to thank all the wonderful caregivers of Answered Prayer Home Care, especially Audrey Stevenson, for the loving care they provided during the final year of Susannah’s life. Memorial donations may be made to St. Mary’s Convent, Sewanee, TN or St. John’s Episcopal Church, Montgomery, AL.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Leak-MC.com for the STEWART family.