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Shirley Hyatt
Many of you will remember Ken Stewart. Stew (as he was known to friends) died last week, September 3 2021.
Stew didn't graduate from Heights, but he went to Roxboro and then a year or so to Heights. (His mom then moved to Euclid.) Stew was best friends with Alex Sloss, became a fixture on Coventry.
Here's his obituary. (There are pix with the original PDF obit but I could not figure out how to attach them.)
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Stew
The enigmatic and talented juggler, performer, musician, and intellectual “Stew” (aka Kenneth Lane Stewart) passed away peacefully on Friday, September 3, 2021, surrounded by family after a long illness. He was born on December 14, 1950, in Cleveland, Ohio. The youngest child of Maxine Collavecchio, Stew lived with his mom and older sister, Bonnie. As a young man he married Carla Metzger in 1972, and they had a son, Jesse. Stew would tell stories about Jesse’s obsession with flying as a young child often taking him to the Cleveland airport to watch the planes take off and land. Stew was proud of Jesse’s accomplishments, but he was particularly proud of Jesse’s choice to become a commercial airline pilot.
After graduating from high school, Stew worked various jobs as a cab driver and later at the restaurant called Earth by April. He held fond memories of the people who became life-long friends during this time (Jason Connor, Rick Eble, Joey Wittenbrook, Timmy Cikra, Angela Cikra, Haris and Sura Sevastopoulus, Arnie Schwartz, Andrew McCann, and Tommy Fello). If anyone was left out of this list, it was not intentional. Please accept our apology! Stew touched many lives during his life. It has been difficult to include everyone.
Stew began learning to juggle at a young age and picked it up quickly. He also taught himself to play the acoustic guitar. He played the Cleveland folk scene with musician friend Joe Hunter back in the day. His friend Joe said Stew was a very influential guy to many people in Cleveland and beyond…
Stew was an extrovert and loved performing for audiences. He began exhibiting his juggling skills at the Coventry Street Fair, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. As he developed a reputation as a talented juggler, he was invited to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra and was part of the Great American Mime Experiment. During the 1980’s, Stew worked with the Fairmount Theater of the Deaf (FTD) as a musician and actor. He was well known for playing Frankenstein in one of the FTD stage performances and traveled to Jordan and Czechoslovakia to perform with the company. In 1987, he performed at the International Juggler’s Convention taking away the Best Jest award.
In 1988, Stew moved from Cleveland to Boston to be closer to his son, Jesse. He was hired by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf (MCDHH) as an interpreter referral specialist, expanding his cadre of life-long friends (Eva Wax, Carol Seidman, Marie Tavormina, Joy and Nadine Gosselin-Smoske, and so many others). He loved living in Boston and often gave juggling performances in Harvard Square and Faneuil Hall (pictured above). For a short time, he enjoyed playing music in a few small, local venues in Cambridge, Mass.
In 1993, he married for a second time to Kellie Mills (Stewart), and raised two more boys, Mack (Mackenzee) Scott and Liam Connor Gabriel Stewart. During the boy’s younger years, Stew was a stay-at-home dad while also working at a group home with deaf consumers, and later at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. He decided to attend Harvard University’s Extended Campus program in Literature and Creative Writing, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1994. He was awarded top honors for the highest GPA within his age bracket. Stew was very proud of his accomplishments at Harvard and walked across the stage at commencement with 7-year-old Mackenzee holding his hand. When his boys were younger, Stew always juggled for their friends, and particularly during birthday parties where he often juggled fire and performed his box routine. He also donned the stage at least once at the Byam Elementary School’s annual parent talent show. He truly loved every moment he was on stage…he loved to make people laugh and to entertain audiences wherever he went.
In 2010, Stew, Kellie and the family moved to Charlotte, NC, where he again worked at a group home until 2015. He enjoyed listening to jazz music in the Queen City and made friends with the musicians. Stew was thrilled to be able to attend the final performance of the Barnum and Bailey Circus as it traveled through Charlotte before the circus ended its decades-long traveling shows. Mostly he enjoyed reading and spending time with the boys. Stew lived a full life until his health began to decline in 2015. He was a bright, free spirited man who lived his life on his own terms. He will be deeply missed by all. Stew is survived by his wife, Kellie, his 3 sons, Jesse (wife Lisa and grandchildren Alexandria, Vivian, and Gabriella), Mackenzee, and Liam, his ex-wife Carla, his precious lap dog, Chewy, Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Tony (Anthony) Zampino, Aunt Maxine Cutshall, and cousins Roxanne and Debra Parmer. He is preceded in death by his mother, Maxine Collavecchio, sister, Bonnie Stewart, his Uncle Chester Cutshall, and Uncle Lavon (Poncho) Cutshall, and his dear childhood friend Alex Sloss. There are so many stories that could have been told in this obituary. Please feel free to leave a story you wish to share on Stew’s or my Facebook page (Kellie Mills Stewart).
Rest in power, Stew. You will be missed.
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