Charles M. Stewart, M.D., died peacefully at home on July 24, 2025, with his wife, Susan, by his side.
Charlie was born in Brookline, MA, on January 15, 1938, to Roger and Ann (Hoague) Stewart. When he was an infant the family moved to Seattle where they lived until his father’s death in 1950. At that time, the family moved to Denver, CO.
Charlie graduated from East Denver High School where he was a member of the ski racing club. He was an accomplished skier who was invited to attend the Jr. National Championships, a screening ground for the U.S. Olympic team. He was also a member of the band, in which he played clarinet and tenor saxophone.
Chas attended Harvard College where he concentrated in Social Relations, receiving an A.B. as a member of Eliot House and the Class of 1960. He received his M.D. from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Chas completed his residency in psychiatry at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Ill. He served in the Viet Nam War at the Great Lakes Naval Base (Illinois).
Chas maintained an independent practice in general psychiatry in Evanston, IL. He also served as assistant director and subsequently director of the Northwestern University Student Counseling Service on the Evanston campus.
Wanting to raise their children in a more rural setting, Charlie and his family moved to Brunswick, ME. While here, he practiced general psychiatry. His work and his patients were very important to Charlie, and he continued to practice into his early 80s.
“Chas” or “Charlie”, as he was known to family and friends, was a kind, caring, and supportive man. He was at home in the outdoors and was an avid backpacker and trout fisherman. He adored the family camp on a small island in Penobscot Bay, where he spent summer vacations with his family. Charlie was a serious woodworker, building numerous kayaks, rowboats, and other sailing crafts. He also was intrigued with landscape painting, producing numerous works centered on his experiences in the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, and his love of Maine. In his last years, Charlie greatly enjoyed the many birds, foxes, and deer that frequented his Brunswick neighborhood. He also loved his many family cats.
Charlie is survived by his family including his wife, Susan (Riehl); daughters Jennifer, and Elizabeth aka “Betsy” (Kolin Whitley), his son, Peter (Laura Gilman Stewart); and his grandson, Charlie Frease. He is also survived by his brother, George and his sister, Ann Byrne Poffinberger.
Charlie’s steady, can-do demeanor, willingness to go out of his way to help others, and his quiet sense of humor will be greatly missed by them all.
- Modified slightly from version printed in the Brunswick, ME Press Herald posted August 22, 2025, and updated September 4, 2025.
