Ida Gwendora Stewart

Stewart, a three time graduate of the University of Texas, practiced law in The Woodlands for 19 years, first as a solo practitioner while raising her children, then as a partner with her husband, Rob Wiley, at Stewart & Wiley PLLC. Stewart specialized in estate planning, probate administration, family law and small business transactions. She aggressively promoted collaborative family law as a way of minimizing the impact of divorce on children.

Stewart became known for her work in healing arts and for her interest in past life regression. She was a licensed massage therapist, Reiki practitioner, and regression therapist. She studied past life regression under Roger Woolger, an English psychologist internationally known for his work.

Stewart participated actively in a number of healing arts groups, including The Woodlands Wonder Workers which she helped found in 2005. Stewart, for almost 20 years, was an active member of Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church and served briefly as its board president. At Northwoods, she was a longtime member of the Blue Mountain Mediation Group.

In a December 29 request for prayers e-mailed to her healing network the night before she underwent surgery, Stewart wrote: "And if I should die before I awake…know that the work continues from the other side. I love you: laughing and crying and dreaming and doing with you. Life is good. Love surrounds us and we are love."

Stewart moved to Houston in 1987 when her husband began practicing law at what was then Liddell, Sapp and Zivley (now Locke, Lord, Bissell and Liddell). Stewart worked in the legal department at Texas Commerce Bank (now Chase), then briefly practiced with a Houston law firm. She moved to The Woodlands in 1991 with her family, focusing on community activities and raising three children. Stewart continued her law practice, working part time from home.

Stewart took an intense interest in her children's education. Though all three graduated from a public or private high school, Stewart tutored them at home through their early grades. She helped found a home school group, Woodlands Innovative Scholastic Environment (WISE).

In 2005, after 18 years, Wiley left Locke Liddell & Sapp and joined Stewart in forming Stewart & Wiley, PLLC. Stewart served as the firm's administrative partner and handled her practice areas while Wiley continued his commercial litigation practice. Wiley said Monday the firm will retain the name Stewart & Wiley, "as long as I practice there."

Ida Gwendora Stewart was born August 31, 1954, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the first child of Mississippians Oscar and Murriel Stewart. Oscar Stewart was an enlisted man in the United States Air Force who was stationed in England while Murriel went to Michigan to live with relatives while awaiting the birth.

As her father continued his Air Force career, Stewart grew up in Paris, France, Mountain Home, Idaho, Kokomo, Indiana, Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, and finally, Ft. Worth, Texas.

After graduating from Arlington Heights High School in 1972, Stewart enrolled at the University of Texas. There she married her high school boyfriend, Charles Barnes. That marriage, ended in divorce shortly before Stewart graduated in 1977.

Stewart in 1978 enrolled in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Later she entered the University of Texas Law School and earned her masters and law degrees through a joint program between the schools.

Stewart obtained her law license in 1986. She worked in state government before moving to Houston with Wiley, whom she married in 1983.

In addition to Wiley, her husband of 27 years, Stewart's survivors include their three children, Kenneth, 22, a senior at the University of Missouri, Murriel, 20, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, and Kathryn, 18, a Clemson University freshman, two stepchildren, Shaun Wiley, 35, and Keith Wiley, 33, both of Chicago, three sisters, Linda Stewart Ball and Selena Alexander, both of Dallas, and Michelle Stewart-Thomas of Los Angeles, her father, Master Sergeant Oscar H. Stewart, United States Air Force (Ret.) and stepmother, Liz Stewart, both of Fort Worth.

A memorial service celebrating Stewart's life will be held at 3 p.m., February 26 at Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church, 1370 North Millbend in The Woodlands.

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the College of Liberal Arts general scholarship fund at the University of Texas at Austin.