Richard Willis Stewart

Richard Willis Stewart passed away November 18, 2024 in his home in Columbia, MD. He was 87. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Barbara Rusciolelli Stewart; his son and daughter-in-law, Lawrence and Julie Stewart; his daughter Katherine Stewart and his grandsons Adam and Matthew Stewart. 

Richard was born on December 27, 1936 in Atlanta, GA to Katherine Everett and James Amos Stewart. After graduating from high school in Miami, FL, he served three years in the Marine Corps before leaving to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his Ph.D in Physics from Columbia University. Richard then spent a 39-year career at NASA, first at the Institute for Space Studies in New York, then at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Dr. Stewart contributed to the development of climate change models through his research on atmospheric processes. His work focused on understanding the dynamics of planetary atmospheres, including radiative transfer and photochemical processes, which are essential for accurate climate modeling. By analyzing data from Mars and Venus, Stewart helped refine models that assess how greenhouse gases influence climate systems, thereby enhancing predictions of climate change impacts on Earth.

Services will be private.