WALKER SOCIETY PROFILE: Charles Stewart ’85

Charles Stewart’s history with Woodberry dates back to 1978, when he spent a “very hot summer” on Turner Hall for Woodberry Forest Sports Camp. The weather during his first extended stay on campus may not have been inviting, but the rest of the session was—enough so to make him enroll in 1982 and graduate as part of the class of 1985.

“There were a couple of people from back in Lexington who were at Sports Camp with me, and it was just a wonderful time. So were my three years there as a student,” he said.

Now Charles has made a lasting commitment to Woodberry by joining the Walker Society, which recognizes alumni and other friends of the school who have made provisions for Woodberry in their wills or estate planning.

Since his graduation from Woodberry, independent school education has remained on the top of Charles’s mind. He now helps run the Stewart Home & School, a 126-year-old school for students with intellectual disabilities in Frankfort, Kentucky. In some ways, Woodberry (founded in 1889) and Stewart Home (founded in 1893) share common traits.

“At both places, there’s a strong sense of history and tradition. Our family’s role at Stewart is similar to that of the Walkers at Woodberry. We’re the fifth generation to step forward and lead the school,” Charles said. “Both places really have a tradition of excellence. Stewart is considered one of the best schools for the mentally handicapped in the country, if not the world, and Woodberry is one of the finest prep schools in the United States.”

Though Woodberry and Stewart Home serve different students, they share more than a tradition of excellence and the deep commitment of a founding family. Stewart, like Woodberry, focuses on the individual needs of students and helping each one achieve his or her full potential. Both schools are also committed to a residential experience, believing that what happens on campus in the evenings and weekends is as important as what happens in the classroom.

“The Walker Society is a great organization, and I think the potential for major gifts to Woodberry down the road is a smart idea for the school to cultivate.”

Like many Woodberry alumni, Charles credits his strong ties to his alma mater to lasting relationships with other alumni, particularly his roommate, Martin Boney ’85.

“I’m close with a lot of my classmates from the class of 1985. Martin and I lived with each other during our junior and senior years and have been great friends ever since,” he said.

It’s a combination of those close, enduring relationships, and his meaningful experience as a student that spurred him to join the Walker Society and make a planned gift to support Woodberry in perpetuity. His estate gift will go into the endowment and establish funds that honor his parents. He is seeding that future commitment with a current gift to the school.

“The Walker Society is a great organization, and I think that the potential for major gifts to Woodberry down the road is a smart area for the school to cultivate,” he said. “Woodberry’s been a key part of my life and has always meant a great deal to me.”