Bruce Blakely Stewart

Stewart—Bruce Blakely Stewart, 85, on January 26, 2025, at home in Chattanooga, Tenn. Bruce was born on January 22, 1940, in Lynn, Mass. Bruce’s passion for education was ignited early. The son of a Scottish immigrant with a third-grade education, Bruce graduated from Lynn English High School in 1957 before earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., and a master’s in counseling from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was first exposed to the tenets of Quakerism at Guilford, which became the guiding force for both his personal and professional life.

Bruce’s nearly five-decade career in education was marked by an unwavering commitment to fostering opportunity for all students. He began as a social studies teacher and counselor at Walter Hines Page High School in Greensboro, where he played a pivotal role in the school’s first efforts at integration following the landmark sit-ins at Woolworth’s in 1960. His lifelong dedication to equity in education was shaped by that experience, fueling his determination to ensure that every student, regardless of background, had access to a quality education.

He was a founding member of the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he served as its first dean of student affairs and a special assistant to the president. Eventually he returned to work at Guilford College where he held multiple roles, including director of admissions, acting academic dean, and ultimately, provost. While at Guilford, he cofounded New Garden Friends School, a preschool through twelfth grade Quaker school in Greensboro. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in the development of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a public boarding school in Durham.

In 1984, Bruce moved to Pennsylvania to serve as head of Abington Friends School, and in 1998, he became head of Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., where he served until his retirement in 2009. He treasured his time at Quaker independent schools where he said he learned so much from faculty, staff, trustees, and students about academic excellence, ethical leadership, and environmental stewardship. He always championed diversity, working consistently to increase financial aid and broaden access for students of all backgrounds. During his tenure at Sidwell, the construction of the LEED Platinum-certified middle school set a national precedent for sustainable school design.

Bruce’s influence extended far beyond institutional achievements. He was a mentor, confidant, and unwavering advocate for students, faculty, and families alike. His presence was felt in every corner of the campuses where he worked—from picking up trash on his daily walks to attending meeting for worship, where he offered wisdom and guidance to generations of students. He listened, encouraged, and inspired those around him to strive for excellence while remaining grounded in values of compassion and integrity. As a speaker, fundraiser, and storyteller, Bruce had a rare ability to captivate audiences with his warmth, intellect, and deep love for the institutions he served.

In his retirement, Bruce moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., to be near his daughter, son-in-law, and three grandsons. He never missed a game, competition, or race, and regularly encouraged all of them to “let their lives speak.” A treasured experience for the family was the involvement of three generations in the development of the Ed Johnson Memorial, a lynching memorial with a focus on honoring the truth of the past to promote racial reconciliation.

Bruce was most recently a member of Chattanooga Meeting.

He was predeceased by his wife, Andra Jurist.

Bruce is survived by four children, Kathleen Stewart Hunt (Peter), Lindsay Jurist Rosner (Jason Fox), Marney Cohen (Robert), and Mark Thompson; five grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.