M. John Steward

on January 22, 2021 in Sudbury, MA.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Connie, son Patrick (Patricia Greipp), daughter

Catherine “Katie” (Anthony Parrinello) and 3 granddaughters; Annie and Lily Parrinello, and

Kayleigh Rhys Steward. John was preceded in death by his father, John Leake Steward and

mother Catharine Geraghty Steward of Overstratton, Somerset, England.

John was born at the Chelsea Naval Hospital near Boston, MA on December 21, 1945. The son

of a career US Navy Warrant Officer, his early years and education took place on three different

continents. His lifelong interests in travel and world events were reflections of these childhood

experiences and they instilled in his family a curiosity and an appreciation for the cultures,

languages, music and politics of other nations.

A 1972 graduate of William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN, John began his legal career

in Rochester, MN in 1973 by joining the firm of Muir and Weineke, PA. From 1976 to 1987, John

was a managing partner of Steward, Perry, Mahler and Bird, a general practice firm serving

clients in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. During that time he argued and won five cases

before the Minnesota Supreme Court.

John served as in-house counsel for Travelers Insurance Company in Boston starting in 1987,

where he led defense work and serious injury trials in Federal and State Courts and was

National Director of Construction Claims Services before retiring in 2012. He was licensed to

practice law in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

After law school, John served as a Captain in the US Air Force, including 8 years in the JAG

Corp and in the reserves.

John was a graduate of the University of St Thomas in St. Paul MN, Thomas Mack Wilhoite

High School in Kenitra, Morocco, and the Lycée Descartes in Rabat, Morocco.

Active sports were a big part of John’s life. His interest in rowing began in high school when he

learned to row at Port Lyautey in Morocco. He competed in college and continued in the sport

for many years, especially enjoying rowing on the Charles River in Boston.

While residing in Rochester, he was a member of the National Ski Patrol. He was also a

long-distance runner. With family members he competed in 17 marathons and many shorter

races throughout the US. An avid cyclist, John loved recreational biking on trails and in major

events, most recently completing 46-mile rides in London, England with several thousand other

riders.

John often talked about how much he liked the contrasts of city life and the natural beauty of the

wilderness. He and his family treasured their time together at their home in Idaho, where skiing,

hiking, and trail rides on horses to the back country were favorite activities.

John’s interests in music were varied. But he had a particular affinity for classical music, as did

his father and grandfather. While living in London as a child, John had an acting role in a

performance at Royal Albert Hall. The story of that event--when his father was also on stage as

a member of the chorus--was a family favorite.

A devoted husband, father and grandfather, John encouraged the pursuit of dreams, strongly

supported achieving goals and took great pleasure in seeing successes. He delighted in

welcoming his granddaughters to the family, reading them stories and composing songs that still

bring smiles many years later.

He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by the family he loved so dearly.

Donations in John’s memory can be made online to the Sudbury Valley Trustees.

https://www.svtweb.org/make-memorial-or-honor-donation

Or by sending to:

SVT

18 Wolbach Road

Sudbury, MA 01776