Former Round Rock City Council Member Rick Stewart Passes Away

ROUND ROCK, TX -- Former Round Rock City Council member Rick Stewart died over the weekend at the age of 85, city officials said.

Stewart served three terms on council, from 1991 to 2000.

He was a U.S. Navy veteran of 29 years. After retiring from the military, he moved to Round Rock to work for the city's Parks and Recreation Department from 1979 to 1985. He also served on the City Ethics Commission after having served on council.

"He loved being on the city council," his son, Rick, told city officials in an interview. "He lived and breathed Round Rock, Texas."

The son described his father as an avid golfer, voracious reader and something of a fixture in the stands behind third base at Dell Diamond. He and his family owned and operated a photography studio/film processing lab called Picture Perfect from 1985 to 1992.

His tenure on the Round Rock City Council included action on two of the city's most notable achievements: Striking a deal with Dell to make the city its headquarters in 1993 and an agreement with baseball legend Nolan Ryan and his business partner to locate the minor league Round Rock Express baseball team to the city.

Stewart was born in Salina, Kansas, on July 10, 1930. He enlisted in the Navy a month after graduating from high school, serving as part of the Naval Security Group and ascending to the rank of senior chief. He later attended Officer Candidate School and retired with the rank of lieutenant commander in 1976.

While in the military, he served in the Azores, Turkey and Guam among other assignments. He was a Korean War veteran and is a plankowner of the USS Kearsarge (CV33).

Stewart passed away on Friday, and is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jean; son, Rick, and his wife, Leslie; daughter Linda Kohl; and grandsons Jay Stewart, and his wife Kara, and Scott Stewart.