Charles Albert Stewart

Charles Albert Stewart, of Cary, passed away October 16, 2025 at the age of 84.

He was born May 25, 1941 in Aurora, the son of the late James and Betty (nee Wade) Stewart.

In his early years the family resided in Oak Park and Aurora, before relocating to Decatur where he graduated from Eisenhower High School. He cultivated an early interest in public works spending summers working for his great-uncle Walter’s civil engineering firm W.E. Deuchler Associates in Aurora, Illinois, learning surveying and drafting. During college summers he served as a forest firefighter for the United States Forest Service in Avery, Idaho. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the University of Illinois, where he also met the love of his life, Clione Anderson, while living in the Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls. The two were married on September 6, 1964, at Mandel Methodist Church in Chicago after 3 months of dating. For a time, Charles and Clione stayed in Champaign where he worked in forestry research, prior to enlisting in the United States Air Force where he proudly served in the Strategic Air Command as a Titan II Missile Combat Crew Commander, primarily stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas.

After concluding his service, Charles and Clione relocated back to Chicago where he worked as Assistant Superintendent of Forestry for the City of Chicago until he formed his forestry consulting company, Urban Forest Management, Inc., which recently celebrated 50 years of operation, dedicated to tree preservation and the management of tree and landscape resources in the urban environment. His work carried him to many areas of the country, and he formed many long-lasting personal and professional relationships, his core philosophy being ‘it’s not about the trees, it’s about the people’.

Charles spent several years as a member of the Illinois Commission on Forestry Development and was involved in the implementation of the Illinois Forestry Development Act of 1983, the Illinois Urban Forestry Assistance Act of 1984, and the establishment of the Suburban Shade Tree Consortium.

Throughout his career, Charles was active in the Society of American Foresters, and family vacations often revolved around attending the national conference, where he was occasionally a speaker or panelist.

Charles was a proud University of Illinois alum, and maintained a connection to the University over the years by serving on the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences External Advisory Committee, and the College of ACES Alumni Association Board of Directors.

In addition to pursuing a fulfilling career in urban forestry, Charles believed in community involvement. Charles and Clione moved to Cary in 1976, where he served on the both the board of Cary Elementary School District 26 and the Village of Cary Zoning Board of Appeals, and found many years of enjoyment assisting with coaching his children’s baseball, softball and football activities.

Charles had a deep appreciation for the outdoors and especially enjoyed his time as a member of the Hatchet Lake Club at Hatchet Lake in Ontario, Canada, where he found great joy in fishing and the peaceful beauty of nature.

Charles will be fondly remembered for his warm, talkative nature, his gift for storytelling, and his thoughtful, analytical mind.

Charles is survived by his loving wife, Clione; his children, Kirsten (Mike Vega) Stewart and Carrick (Tabitha) Stewart; his grandchildren, Makailah, Boone, and Viney.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved beagle Highwater.

Charles and Clione celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in September.

For more than six decades, Charles carried in his wallet a quote he’d cut out of the newspaper by Pubilius Syrus which read ‘It matters not what you are thought to be, but what you are’. And he consistently lived by this principle.

To honor Charles’ legacy, please plant a tree for the next generation, adopt a shelter pet, or spend time visiting our national parks, forests and national wildlife refuges. If you find yourself near Avery, Idaho, visit a lookout tower.

Per his wishes, services will be held privately for his family.