Ailsa Stewart, QSM, passed away last week. Photo / File
Ailsa Stewart, QSM, passed away last week. Photo / File
Comment:
It is remarkable how quickly things in life can change.
The last time I wrote a column it was to celebrate the final days of our sixth annual Winter Wonderfest programme only a month ago. With the lockdown days upon us once again I feel incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to run this fun winter festival event amid our regular activities at the Women's Network. Special thanks to everyone who got involved!
As we head toward alert level 3 I encourage you to keep looking after yourself, and those who are precious to you. If anyone needs some support, feel free to reach out to me at: womnet.whanganui@gmail.com and I can arrange a time to chat online or via phone.
In the last week our community has lost another of its bright stars in the force of light that was Ailsa Stewart, QSM. She was an indomitable servant of the people, with unending kindness, fierce determination and generosity, and an unshakeable force for equality.
I first met Ailsa when I began my role as the manager of the Women's Network 18 years ago. She was the chair of the Community Development Committee at Whanganui District Council at that time, and truly embodied all that community development means. And, of course, she was a stalwart member of the local branches of the National Council of Women and Zonta, our sisters in arms.
I soon learned much about her extraordinary commitments to women, health, training, community, archiving histories and herstories, and the essence of Christian kindness and service that she actively demonstrated in so many ways.
Ailsa was a powerhouse of submission writing and kept meticulous records. And, by heck, I enjoyed her stories and her wicked sense of humour.
When I received a phone call on Wednesday last week from the president of Zonta informing me that Ailsa had unexpectedly passed away, it literally stopped me in my gumboots [I was in the garden at the time].
The irony of her passing in a bed at her beloved hospital in the midst of a pandemic was not lost on me. That a guard of honour was formed by the staff as she was farewelled from the grounds speaks so much about the esteem with which Ailsa was revered.
I know how much she still had to contribute to our community, how many projects she had on the go, and how important the 125th anniversary of the National Council of Women this year was to her.
That Ailsa was one of 544 women to be awarded the NZ Suffrage Centennial Medal celebrating the centenary of Suffrage Day in 1993 is testament to her incredible life of service. And, of course she has received many other accolades for her tireless dedication to so many important causes.
Ailsa was a life member of several local organisations and continued to attend meetings of the Whanganui District Council and health board, such was her commitment outside of the many years she served as an elected member of both.
Ailsa Stewart, QSM, passed away last week. Photo / File
Much will be said about the remarkable woman that was Ailsa Crawford Stewart, such was her reach. Her legacy will continue in countless ways throughout our community, and in the quiet spaces of peoples hearts. I will miss her.
Ailsa has been a profoundly significant mentor, supporter and friend, and I feel unreservedly grateful for her steadfast sentinel. I salute you ma'am, and will continue to stand up and pay attention to the causes that matter most.
