Jill Stewart Evenson Has Passed Away

  Jill Stewart Evenson, daughter of George and Ted Stewart, passed away late last month of complications from surgery.  She was 90.

Named Jane, but always called Jill, she was born in 1925.  She lived a long and interesting life, leaving home to move to San Francisco in the 1940s, marrying Morris Evenson of the Painters Union, and raising her family.  But she still found time to earn two Masters of Art, one in Educational Research and the other in Art.  She worked in Educational Research at the Far Western Lab for Educational Research.  After retirement, she helped to coordinate artists’ shows in her retirement.  She even wrote some poetry; one poem was highly praised by her author father.

Jill was of invaluable help in all the GRS work and projects.  In fact, Jill was the one who introduced George and Ted Stewart to Thornton State Beach, and thus, indirectly, to me.

When I was researching the GRS biography, Jill graciously invited me to her home in Santa Rosa so I could interview her.  Then she arranged with her daughter Anna, the Stewarts’ first grandchild, a chance to review the family photo collection and scan in many of the photos for use in the biography.

Jill will be remembered as long as the GRS biography lives.  More, she will be known to all who read Earth Abides for as long as that beloved classic survives – it is dedicated to her.  Her father gave her the first copy off the press, autographed to her.

Here are some photos of Jill:

Jill (in striped shirt) with Jack Stewart (back to the door) and others on Wallace and Mary Stegner’s house, early 1940s.

Stewart family Portrait, mid-late 40s.  Jill is peeking out at the left.

 

The first Stewart grandchild, Anna, with Jill and GRS.