Kerry Kalen Steward

Kerry Kalen Steward of New Orleans died peacefully at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans' Home on September 18, 2018. Kerry was born in Cornville, Maine in 1930, and enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War. After leaving the military, he used the GI Bill to attend college, and to his surprise, he enjoyed it so much he kept attending until he'd earned himself a Ph.D. in botany and met his future wife, Judith. Upon their graduations, he and Judith moved their family to South Florida, where Kerry worked as a research scientist for the USDA until his retirement. During his time there he became the longest acting research leader at his facility, and a world-renowned specialist in the field of aquatic weed control (really). Kerry also loved Highland dancing, sailing, and woodworking, along with avidly supporting his wife Judith in her career and professional activities. Kerry retired in 1999, and spent most of his spare time on woodworking, eventually making a beautiful cherry wood crib for the birth of his granddaughter. Shortly thereafter, he and Judith moved to New Orleans to be near their daughter and granddaughter, where Kerry enjoyed long walks with his dogs and puttering in his wood shop. Due to Alzheimer's Disease, Kerry eventually lost the ability to craft wood, but he never lost his joy in life and in his family. His beautiful smile will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. Kerry is survived by his wife of 62 years, Judith Rubenstein Steward, his daughter, Cynthia Steward, his granddaughter Sophie Kalen Rabalais, his sister and brother-in-law Marilyn and Bryan Hart, his sister-in-law Linda Rubenstein, as well as many nieces, nephews, and devoted friends. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 28 at 12:00 PM at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans, located at 4238 St. Charles Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org, or to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org. We will always be grateful for the kind treatment and respect Kerry received from the amazing caregivers at the Veterans' Home in his final days.