Ann Linton Stewart

The world, our world, lost a bit of its magic on October 13th, 2025, when our beloved Mother passed peacefully from this life and reunited with her parents Robert and Isabella Stewart, her precious baby son Duncan, her grandfather Robert Stewart and her beloved grandmother and guiding light, Janet Dawson Stewart.

Born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland on December 23, 1939, she arrived just in time for Christmas and spent the next eight decades gifting everyone around her with the same wonder, warmth and occasional mischief the season is known for…. The Campbell Christmas is a legendary gathering, with our family always returning to her side from near and afar. Always in love, never divided, was her wish.

Ann lived her 85 years with grace, dignity, courage, humor, curiosity and endless love. Ann was a woman of deep conviction and joyful contradictions. She loved studying religion and singing along to movie soundtracks, quoting philosophers and poets while eager to hear her children telling a joke she couldn’t resist laughing at. She was a lady in the truest sense while displaying her fierce intellect and endless curiosity. Every conversation was a lesson, every story a gift and every day a chance to share her light. She believed faith, intellect and love were the foundations of civilization and storytelling was the bridge between generations. Her children were her life, her pride and joy, and she was tirelessly dedicated to them. Mum was in every sense a teacher - not just by profession, but by nature; and not just of subjects, but of life itself. Ann believed teaching was not confined to classrooms, instead she made the world her classroom. Her subjects were life and love, philosophy and faith, history and legacy, etiquette and elegance, music and meaning, languages and culture and so much more. Each lesson told to her children and grandchildren was rich with wisdom. Mother watched as they grew more thoughtful, imaginative and confident with every word she shared. She taught them not only how to think, but how to live boldly and graciously. Every story was a thread in the tapestry of her extraordinary spirit.

In 1964, Ann and her husband Hugh Campbell began a new adventure, moving from Scotland to Wellington, New Zealand. She continued to put her Teaching Degree to good use while still a young mother. She and Hugh spent fifteen years building a home filled with faith, laughter, and learning amidst the scent of her famous meat pie and dumpling. In 1979, they embarked on another great journey, this time to America, bringing with them their children, their faith and Ann’s boundless curiosity and determination.

While teaching was her calling, Ann also had a passion for fashion and a desire to create something that was her own that would keep her close to her young daughters. She established a clothing store, a charming place that quickly became more than a boutique. Her customers became friends; her friends became students and her shop a gathering place where stories and song flowed freely. She spoke of life and history, fairytales and spirituality, all while helping someone find the perfect dress. Between the fabrics and fitting rooms, she sang songs from her beloved Scotland, turning commerce into community and fashion into philosophy.

Never one to turn away from a challenge or adventure, she met those she loved where they were – whether in California, England or Egypt, even taking her girls to Paris, she was always sure to show up. Not surprisingly, she also intuitively knew how to meet everyone where they were in their life then lifted you up until you knew you would conquer the world. Ann backpacked through Scotland, floated down the Seine, sailed the seas, visited the outback of Australia and many more places, shining her light everywhere she went.

Ann’s laughter was unmistakable while her intellect and wit were unmatchable. She had an elegant presence and a sharp mind. She was a teacher of the heart, guiding those around her to live kindly, think deeply, forgive easily and carry themselves with both dignity and delight. She brightened every room with a twinkle in her eye, hinting she already knew the story’s end, and even if most of her stories ended in tragedy the lesson she hoped to impart was always delivered. It was her “superpower!” Some of her favorite sayings echoed time and time again…with so many children running about the house, in moments of exasperation she would go through everyone’s name trying to get to the right one, and if she got it wrong, you were “George.” If you were being “obstreperous”, “Auch, Laddie, you’re a cheeky rascal!” And, when you received a bad grade, “Never you mind, the grade is only a number!” Every meal was an occasion. Mum would labor all day to make the perfect dumpling. As she would often comment when in the kitchen, “I could live off of the smell!”

Ann, a voracious reader, was known to read from at least seven different books in a day, commenting she found her friends in books. Mum lived her life like one of her stories….one filled with courage, laughter, grace and deep love. She leaves behind a family who loved her beyond measure, who carry her lessons forward, and a legacy that will never fade. Though her presence will be missed in every room, her voice, lessons and love will echo forever in the hearts of all who were blessed to call her their own. As the poet Rumi wrote, “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul, there is no such thing as separation.”

Ann is survived by her loving and devoted family including her sons Ruairidh Campbell (Christina) of Austin, TX, Sean Campbell (Maria) of Long Valley, NJ, Dr. Rowan Campbell (Judith Reva) of Dallas, TX, Dr. Scott Campbell (Meredith) of San Antonio, TX, Fraser Campbell (Kim) of Moraga, CA, and daughters Glencora Stewart of Austin, TX and Summer Stewart (David Jones) of Pueblo, CO; her grandchildren Sydney (Kyle), Aubrey, Hutton, Searcy and Callum, Duncan and Esmée, Fraser, Scarlett and Porter, Talia and Eliana, Stewart and Charlotte; and great-grandchildren Leo and Odin and the father of her children and former husband of over 30 years, Hugh Campbell and son Ian.

Rest peacefully, dearest Mum. You were our matriarch, muse, teacher, philosopher, lover of beauty and a believer in the goodness of people.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation to a charity of your choice in loving memory of Ann Linton Stewart.

Graveside Services will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025, and begin promptly at 10:00 AM at Sunset Memorial Park & Funeral Home at 1701 Austin Hwy, San Antonio, Texas 78218.