William Clayton Stewart Jr.

Stewart, Mr. William Clayton, 87, of Richmond, Virginia, departed this life peacefully on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Mr. Stewart was born on May 23, 1928 in Schenectady, New York. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He married Virginia Clara Keech on May 20, 1950 and they remained married until her death in 2011. After graduation, he passed the CPA exam and worked in public accounting for Touche Ross in their Cleveland, Ohio office. He earned his MBA from Case-Western Reserve University and after several years in public accounting, went into teaching and taught at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1965, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan to become the second president of Walsh College. At Walsh, he led the transition to a four year college and moved the school to its current location in Troy, Michigan. In 1970, Mr. Stewart left Walsh and moved his family to Old Lyme, Connecticut to join the Connecticut Water Company, ultimately becoming its President and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mr. Stewart was a lifelong Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Buckeyes fan. He was extremely well read, an excellent bridge player and enjoyed golf, the arts, and travel. Mr. Stewart lived in Old Lyme for over 45 years, raising a family, and being an active member of his community, serving on the Old Lyme School Board and the Old Lyme Board of Finance. He was active with the Phoebe-Griffin Noyes Library, Habitat for Humanity and the First Congregational Church. After the death of his wife, he relocated to Richmond, Virginia to be closer to his family. Mr. Stewart is survived by his two sons, Ian M. Stewart and his wife Janice of Old Church, VA and Timothy A. Stewart and his wife Carmen of Raleigh, NC and his sister Michelle Johns of Ann Arbor, MI, four grandchildren, Robert Archbald, Andrew Archbald, Clayton Stewart, and Arianna Stewart and two great grandchildren Annalisa Archbald and Bailey Archbald. He is predeceased by his wife Virginia and his daughter Lisa S. Stewart.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday June 27, 2015 at 11am at the Congregational Church in Old Lyme, CT. Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, Old Lyme is handling the arrangements. Please visit www.fultontherouxoldlyme.com for tributes and directions.

Donations may be made in his memory to:

The Virginia Stewart Endowed fund for the acquisition and preservation of Rare Books and Genealogical Materials at the Phoebe-Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, CT 06371.