PEORIA MAGAZINE July 2022

Leitch, that you have to put yourself in others’ shoes. “You have to have empathy,” he said. “It’s always good to step back and ask why someone feels the way they do.” Once that’s understood, he added, there is common ground for progress. Now that she’s retired, Vicky looks at her involvement with a more judi cious eye. “I’m still doing volunteer work, but I’m keeping a chunk of that time to be grandma,” she said. Indeed, as the COVID-19 pandemic began, with the Stewarts’ daughter and son-in-law both in health care, homeschooling their then second grade and kindergarten grandkids – the whole ball of wax, from the Pledge of Allegiance to PE — fell to grandma and grandpa. “It was quite an interesting time for all of us,” she said. “I would never wish COVID on us again, but it gave us time to get closer to two of our grandkids,” he said. SEEKING ADVENTURE Retirement is providing the already adventurous couple time to travel. Doug’s attitude was always about having something to retire to – family, community, and travel – not retire from. The entire family heads to Costa Rica this fall. Vicky sees it not only as an opportunity for their grandkids to see the rain forest, but also how other people live. COVID, meanwhile, delayed a trip to theMiddle East – Egypt, Jordan, Israel – which is now coming up. The Stewarts feel blessed. So too, it would seem, is the central Illinois that continues to be the recipient of their collective energy, talents and generosity. “We aren’t sitting there idly twiddling our thumbs,” said Vicky, chuckling.

The Stewart family

Wesleyan University, Vicky at Illinois State University. In their senior year, the Stewarts married. They celebrate 50 years in January 2023. Before the wedding, however, they had to reach a common ground about religion. Vicky was raised Apostolic Christian, Doug as a Methodist and Lutheran. When Doug began working at Commercial National Bank in Peoria, his boss suggested they try his church, First Baptist on Lake Avenue in Peoria. “We found a good home there,” said Vicky. She serves as moderator at the church – its highest layperson position— while Doug is on its finance committee. SERVICE IS A RESPONSIBILITY Vicky’s journey into volunteerism began when she was invited to become a member of the Junior League. Doug had a similar experience at the bank where employees were encouraged to pledge to United Way. “Once you get started, it becomes contagious,” she said. Equitable access to educational opportunity as critical to future success became a shared driving force. Beyond that, a responsibility to contribute to the lives of others was instilled in Doug and Vicky growing up as just the right thing to do. They have passed that belief along to their own two children, Sarah Stewart de Ramirez, MD, and

Blake Stewart, as well as their seven grandchildren. Stewart de Ramirez, medical director of Population Health Services at OSF HealthCare, explained in a 2020 Peoria Magazine profile that her parents, “viewed their role as to help us grow, question social norms, and not see barriers where others might.” Their church and the missionaries from around the world with whom they met “showed me the diversity of global life experiences and planted the seed of authentic engagement around issues of equity,” she said. Quirk-Bailey worked closely with Doug when he served on the ICC Board. “He’s astute about where the issues lie and a huge champion for ensuring that resources and education are opportunities available for all,” she said. “ICC has always been a high performing institution. Doug was someone who would say, ‘Yes, we’re doing fine, but there’s still unmet needs in this community.’ He has really set the direction formeeting peoplewhere they are and to advocate for doing more.”

EMPATHY, RELEVANCE, TIME FOR GRANDKIDS

“To the extent I’m involved, I want to make sure I’m still relevant. If not, I need to move on,” said Doug. Meanwhile, he learned from a close colleague, former state Rep. David

Lisa Coon is a Peoria native who had a long career in the newspaper industry before moving into marketing and communications

54 JULY 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE