Adrien Aitkens Stewart M.D.

Adrien Aitkens Stewart, M.D., beloved wife of the late Charles Henry Stewart, M.D., died peacefully at home Saturday, October 16, 2021, surrounded by her loving children and her faithful labradoodle, Bernard. A Memorial Mass celebrating Adrien's life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, 1821 Academy Rd, Grand Coteau, LA 70541, a place she held dear to her heart. Reverend Howard Blessing will officiate the Memorial Mass. The family requests that visitation be observed on Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM at the chapel at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, with a Memorial Mass to follow at 11:00 AM. She is survived by five children: Glenn Rutledge Stewart, M.D. and his wife Thuyvan Bui of Lafayette, LA; Adrienne Elizabeth Stewart, M.D. (Mrs. Daniel Falk Boyle) of Denver, CO; Ann Elliott Stewart (Mrs. Jorge R. Arellano) of Ocala, FL; Martha Ellis Stewart, M.D. and her partner Laina Anne Reilly of Mandeville, LA; and Charles Henry Stewart III and his wife Sandi Renoudet of Lafayette, LA. She was the proud grandmother of Charles Henry Stewart and Adrienne Elizabeth Stewart of Seattle, WA; Stewart Falk Boyle, Ian Rutledge Boyle, and Hailee Elyse Boyle of Denver, CO; and Aidan Thomas Stewart and Gavin Ellis Stewart of Lafayette, LA. She is also survived by her brothers, Arthur Aitkens of Armonk, NY, and Alan Aitkens of Mandeville, LA. The family extends special gratitude to Merlin and Sheila Semien for their enduring friendship and continued kindness. The family would also like to thank MaryAnna Washington and Mary Selman Bernard (deceased) for all their years of caring for our family. Adrien, a native New Orleanian, was a resident of Lafayette since 1963. She was the daughter of the late Adrian Frank Aitkens and Mildred Elliott Aitkens of New Orleans. She graduated from Newcomb College with a B.A. degree in English literature and received her M.D. degree from L.S.U. Medical School in New Orleans where she was one of seven women graduates in a class of 125. She interned at Philadelphia General Hospital where she met the love of her life, Charles, who was also interning there. She completed her residency in dermatology at Charity Hospital in New Orleans and received the Peterkin Award for the outstanding senior resident research project. Charles and Adrien chose Lafayette as their home where they raised their five children. Dr. Stewart was a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and was a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and a life member of the American Medical Society of Vienna. She was also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the Dermatology Foundation's Leaders Society, the Louisiana State Dermatology Society, the Louisiana State Medical Society, and the Lafayette Parish Medical Society. Dr. Stewart served as president of the Louisiana State Dermatology Society from 1975-76 and was re-elected president from 1980- 81. She also served as president of the Lafayette Parish Medical Society and was a member of the house of delegates of the Louisiana State Medical Society for 15 years. She served as a clinical instructor in dermatology at University Medical Center and L.S.U. School of Medicine and had been in private practice with Robert Romero, M.D. for over 43 years. Dr. Stewart served as president of Our Lady of Fatima School Board, as well as past president of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau. She served for eight years as president of the Lafayette Catholic Service Center. She was also a founding member of Mid-South Bank in Lafayette. She was a charter member of the Acadian Opera Society and was a sustaining member of the Junior League of Lafayette. She was a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. She served on the Board of Directors for various organizations including United Givers Fund, Lafayette Museum of Natural Sciences, and Hospice of Acadiana. She was also a parishioner of St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Adrien enjoyed traveling the world with her husband, a good bottle of red wine, dark chocolate, spending time with friends, and always made time for her family. She was also very active throughout her life. She was an avid snow skier (last on the mountain at age 80!) and cyclist, even doing some triathlons with her son, Charles. Until a few years ago, she would get up at 4:00 AM every morning to work out with her gym buddies, then attend mass, and then go to work. She had a quick wit about her and had such a "joie de vivre". She absolutely loved Mardi Gras and those who were able to experience this with her always knew not to stand too close, as she was serious when it came to her bead-catching. She loved bringing her Mardi Gras beads on her travels and bestowing them on strangers so they could experience a taste of New Orleans. She loved watching the New Orleans Saints. She loved fishing and trips to the beach with her family. She had a gift for reciting poetry and entertained many over the years with her vast knowledge of the subject. She also loved telling her Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes to unwitting strangers seated at a table next to her at a restaurant. Often midway through the joke she would begin laughing so hard that she couldn't stop. Her laughter was contagious, leaving everyone in her presence laughing also. Toward the end of her life, she looked forward to her one outing each Saturday to see her dear hairstylist, Sandy Duhon. Her weekend evening ritual consisted of having cocktail hour on her back porch with her kids and her dog, Bernard, by her side, enjoying her beautiful yard and flowers. We would be remiss if we did not thank the long- standing friendship of the members of the Supper Club. It was a fun monthly event that brought friends together for over 50 years. Dr. Stewart was a devoted and much-loved wife, mother, grandmother, and a compassionate and skilled physician who, during her lifetime, treated thousands of patients. She truly loved her profession and being able to help people. She volunteered her time often to provide medical care for those who could not afford it. She was a pioneer in everything that she did. She was a remarkable woman who had an incredible life. She will be tremendously missed by all. A special thanks to the staff of Concepts of Care Home Health, Hospice of Acadiana, and to her physicians, Jon Leleux, M.D., Patrick Welch, M.D., and Katie Dennis, M.D. The family would also like to thank Claudette Clay, Mary Ryan and Monica Hills for all the care they provided in the past few months. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart Stewart scholarship fund at the Academy of the Sacred Heart (1821 Academy Road PO Box 310, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, 70541), Hospice of Acadiana 2600 Johnston St., Suite 200, Lafayette, LA, 70503, or the charity of your choice. View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com. Martin & Castille-Downtown-330 St. Landry St., Lafayette, LA 70506, 337-234-2311.