Dr. William (Bill) Sidney Stewart, 87, of Florence, Alabama, passed away on May 22, 2022. He passed peacefully with family by his side.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruby Knox Correro; stepfather, Michael Correro; and father, William Wade Stewart.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Dorothy Chandler Stewart; brother, Lennard Ray Stewart; children, Sheila Stewart Wilson, William Sidney Stewart Jr (Vicki), and Michael Terrell Stewart (Katie); grandchildren, Jeremy, Katie, Chandler, Jessie, Elizabeth, William III, Alyssa, and Olivia; step grandchildren, Leslie and John; and great grandchild, Alec.
After serving in the military, Dr. Stewart graduated from the University of Mississippi with two master’s degrees and a PhD in Economics. He started his career in teaching at the University of North Alabama (UNA) in Florence, Alabama. He then served as the vocational Head of Business and Office Occupations in Jackson, Mississippi for several years, after which he returned to UNA to resume his career in teaching. He eventually became Chair of the Marketing and Management Department and went on to become the Dean of the College of Business. While at UNA, Dr. Stewart led the effort to obtain ASBDC accreditation, UNA’s first College of Business accreditation; served as Director of the Northern Alabama Regional Small Business Development Center; and traveled extensively in Eastern Europe and South America providing economic development consultation services. His positive impact on UNA and the community culminated in the official designation of his UNA retirement date in 1997 as the “William S. Stewart Day” by the City of Florence.
Throughout his life, Dr. Stewart enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. After retiring from UNA and discovering that he was not especially compatible with retirement, he went on to serve as a consultant for the Small Business Administration in Alabama, Dean of the College of Business at Delta State University, and finally as Dean of the College of Business at the Mississippi University for Women.
In accordance with Dr. Stewart’s wishes, no funeral or memorial service will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association, National Kidney Foundation, or charity of the donor’s choice. Williams Funeral Home is assisting the family.
