Felicia H. Stewart 1943 – 2006 This page is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Stewart, a true pioneer in women's health, who died peacefully on April 13th in her home. Her vision and compassion inspired generations of professionals in the field of reproductive health. She was a mentor and friend to so many of us and she truly made a difference. This site contains some heartfelt words written by her friends, colleagues and protégés. Click here to share your memories of Dr. Stewart

Obituaries

Click here to read obituaries and articles about Dr. Stewart.

Articles and Editorials from Dr. Stewart

Click here to read Dr. Stewart's groundbreaking editorials for policy change appearing in Contraception: An International Reproductive Health Journal.

From friends of Dr. Stewart:

Felicia served on our Foundation Board for many years and was an invaluable advocate for women's reproductive health. I only knew her for a short time but from the moment I met her and she held my hand and looked into my eyes, I knew that I was in the presence of greatness. So often doctors stay within the walls of their offices practicing medicine... not Felicia. She was a provider, a researcher, an advocate, and a pragmatist. She understood the role politics play in medicine and how women are hurt when politics trumps science. It was Felicia the person, with all of her extraordinary talents that brought energy to the work we are all involved in. It was her passion, inspiration and optimism that kept us going. It was her authenticity, graciousness and respect for others that touched our hearts. It was her humor, her creativity and love of fun that lifted our spirits. It was her friendship that sustained us. In my native Montana, there are not as many city lights and you can stand outside and see the billions of stars in the dark sky and the brightest stars shine like no others. Felicia Stewart is one of America's bright and shining stars in the galaxy of pro-choice leaders. We will miss her. Nancy Keenan President, NARAL Pro-Choice America Submitted on: Wed 6/21/2006 10:08 AM

Felicia Stewart had an extensive impact on the world of reproductive health and rights. I feel very fortunate to have known and worked with her for many years. I first met Felicia when she was at the Kaiser Family Foundation. She funded a NAF symposium which looked at the role of advanced practice clinicians and their potential for providing abortion services. When we convened that symposium in 1996, advanced practice clinicians in only three states provided abortion services. Today, advanced practice clinicians in 15 states are providing abortion care. This is only one example of where Felicia was ahead of the curve in seeing a potential way to expand abortion access for women. As you all know, she was passionate about the need for women to be able to access comprehensive, high quality, reproductive health care and was a tireless crusader for improved access to contraception, emergency contraception, and medical and surgical abortion. Felicia later joined NAF's Board of Directors. We could always count on her intelligence and insights when it came to public policy, medical or organizational issues, both domestically and internationally. She was always ready to chart new territory to ensure that women had access to comprehensive reproductive health care. Her critical thinking and keen analytical skills helped us advance our mission to ensure safe, legal, and accessible abortion care for women. Her ability to approach issues both as a provider and an advocate was invaluable. We were greatly saddened when her illness forced her to resign from our Board. Two years ago we named the opening plenary of NAF's Annual Meeting in Felicia's honor to recognize her remarkable contributions to the field of reproductive health and medicine. And this year, we awarded her the Christopher Tietze Humanitarian Award, NAF's highest honor which recognizes significant, lifetime contributions in the field of abortion care or policy. Felicia wrote to me over the winter and said that she didn't think she would be able to make it to the luncheon to personally accept the award. Instead, she hoped that one of her children would be allowed to accept the award on her behalf. Unfortunately, that proved to be the case. She passed away just weeks before the award presentation in San Francisco. Presenters had many heartfelt things to say about Felicia's numerous professional accomplishments, but, most importantly, they spoke about how she had also personally touched and impacted their lives in so many ways. While it turned out to be a sad event, we were happy that Felicia knew she had received the award and that we were able to celebrate her life and her many contributions to the field with providers, advocates, her friends, and family. All of us have benefited from knowing and working with Felicia as have countless women and families. She was a giant in our field and I know that I, along with all of you, will miss her. Vicki Saporta President and CEO National Abortion Federation Submitted on: Mon 6/19/2006 7:30 PM

I was privileged to hear Dr. Stewart speak at numerous Contraceptive Technology Update Conferences over the last 15-20 years. She was an outstanding teacher. Her research gave me many great ideas. Felicia was also a great teacher on a personal level who always answered my questions and never acted too important or too busy to talk to just a participant at the CT conference. Her research and ideas live on in the policies and procedures of a group of rural family planning clinics in central Texas! Linda Byers, RNC, CNS Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner Submitted on: Mon 6/19/2006 12:51 PM

"What an amazing woman" I thought the first time I met Felicia at one of those occassions where she was giving a scientific presentation, but started it by handing out packs of oral contraceptives, with hand typed instructions on how to use it as emergency contraception! This was the first of many conversations and at every one of them I admired her wit, intelligence, charm, humor and incredible dedication. I miss her, we all miss her and we all owe a great deal to her! I am very sorry not to be at the celebration of her life, but thoughts of her spirit keep me going. Susan F. Wood, PhD Former Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health US Food and Drug Administration Submitted on Fri 6/16/2006 5:19 PM

Felicia could be an inspiration even to those of us who didn't know her well personally. She never seemed afraid to "put it out there" for discussion, even if some of her ideas weren't always mainstream within the family planning community! No matter how long she'd been involved in these issues, she brought to every speech, every presentation to a small group, even back hall conversations, her infectious passion for issues surrounding reproductive and women's health. My only hope for her legacy is that she has inspired some to the same levels of fearless feelings. Lisa Kaeser, JD National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) National Institute of Health (NIH) Submitted on: Mon 6/12/2006 1:51 PM

A phenomenal woman. That was my quick opinion when I first met Felicia in a meeting of medical students against the Vietnam War. It was in the fall of 1966, a time of growing restlessness for many of us. She was outraged long before most of the rest, but anger didn't paralyze her. Nor did it snuff out her sense of humor or her warmth. Without fear of isolation, she said what she believed. And I loved her every word. A whirlwind romance followed, and we married within the year. For both of us, life then was a blur of activism, philosophical debate, and—oh yes—medical studies. We knew that the major illnesses in our society were not caused only by microbes, errant membranes, or organ failures. We tried to prepare for the deeper healing needed. We probably didn't take enough time for healing and helping each other. Does anyone ever do that right? Our marriage didn't survive, but my admiration for Felicia did. I imagine that if we lived in the same community during the recent decades we might still be good friends. But the years and a wide continent made that unlikely. From my remote place and time, I think I can hear her reminding us that we have to keep struggling. Henry Kahn, MD CDC Atlanta, GA Submitted on: Thu 6/8/2006 10:12 PM

Felicia was such an inspiration. I too remember the Soap Summit, but more I remember her generosity to younger people in the field. I met her when I was just starting out, and she was always encouraging, always available. She was also so supportive of our work at SIECUS when she was the DASPA and never shied from controversial issues. I am very saddened by this news. The words of Corita Kent always comfort me. She wrote: "She who we loved and lost is no longer where she was. She is now wherever we are." Rest in peace, Felicia. And thank you. Rev. Debra W. Haffner, MPH, M.Div Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing Submitted on: Wed 6/7/2006 2:40 PM

Having had the good fortune to interact with Felicia for nearly three decades, I don't know where to begin. I can only say that I will miss very much the dedication and the passion that she brought to the pursuit of better reproductive health for women and men. Henry L. Gabelnick, PhD CONRAD Submitted on: Tue 6/6/2006 4:09 PM

Dear Friends and Colleagues, I feel honored to have worked and collaborated with Felicia for nearly 20 years. I had a unique opportunity to know Felicia through a number of major professional transitions-from leaving Sacramento to becoming the Director of the Office of Population Affairs in Washington, DC-the most important Family Planning role in the country (by the way, government bureaucrats had major discussions about changing the name of the Office during the Clinton years!!); to her shift to the world of Foundations when she became a Vice-President at the Kaiser Family Foundation; to her transition into academics, the development of the joint Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy and the collaboration in our research for the past 5 years. Felicia taught me a great deal-and some of those lessons I wish to share with you now. . . Live a life of personal integrity. Felicia had an internal compass-perhaps a "BS Meter" would be more appropriate. Her "can do," no nonsense attitude was evident throughout all of her life. She had the uncanny ability and personal insight to recognize what had to be done, how to go about doing it, and when to let go and move on. Such was the case with her experience with the federal government and even the foundation world, when it was clear to her that she would not be able to accomplish as much as she wanted to in these settings, she recognized that she needed to find another setting where she could accomplish her agenda; such a safe haven was UCSF. Grace under fire. Felicia was the consummate professional; her graciousness, her personal drive to persevere, to fight the good fight was inspirational. She was strategic in her thinking and relied on a number of you in planning one of what I consider to be one of her signature pieces-bringing to light the current administration's efforts to dismantle science in the area of reproductive health by spearheading ARHP's Preserving Core Values in Science initiative. She continued as a leader when the Union of Concerned Scientist's (UCS) Integrity of Science Initiative moved this issue into the national spotlight. Felicia was there every step of the way to remind us that these attacks-both frontal and subtle-are not only occurring in reproductive health and women's rights, but in so many other aspects of American life-from the environment to the approval of drugs. It was through her leadership and vision-among many other courageous leaders-that brought this campaign to national prominence. Be Bold. Anchored in science, shielded by evidence-based research, she showed her sense of leadership over and over again. . .whether it was access to abortion, contraception, emergency contraception, or other medical and health care services that she knew women needed. She was not afraid to speak her mind-and she did not have to shout to get your attention. In fact, her sense of properness garnered her respects from all sides of the debate. She did not need to be shrill to be heard by millions because so much of her message was imbued in the information people needed and were hungry to know. Nurture and Mentor the next generation. Felicia often shared her delight with me in being with so many of the "young" (and here I include all of us!), brilliant new generation of researchers in our field. She fiercely believed in you and received great satisfaction in knowing that she was helping to shape and influence your lives. Most important to her were her children-Matthew and Katherine-the love you showed, particularly during the last years of her life brought her tremendous peace-and for that I will always be so grateful. Through all of her mentoring, she remained "ego-less" in her need for your thanks. Just knowing that you would continue to be invested, dedicated, and work in the field of reproductive health-assuring that both men and women had access to the care that they needed-receiving evidence-based care-were so vital to her being. As with a number of us, she saw this mission not only impacting women's health, but impacting the deeper issue of social justice. Excel in communication. Felicia had the master touch in teaching and communicating the latest scientific research to any number of different audiences-from teens and their moms; to policy makers in Congress; to faculty and researchers here and across the world. One of my happiest memories was sharing the panel with her when we had the opportunity to speak to soap opera writers and producers regarding their incorporating responsible messages into their television shows! Felicia had produced and brought with her special buttons with the message, "What could be more moral. . .?" making the case in point that planning for and deciding how many and when in your life you would have children was one of the most moral decisions we make in our lives, and that the 'right to life movement' had no monopoly on morality. I wore the pin to my last farewell visit to Felicia, relishing the memory with her, and knowing that I will always cherish not only the pin, but all that it represented. I will always cherish you, Felicia. . . Claire Brindis, DrPH Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy University of California, San Francisco Submitted on: Tue 6/6/2006 12:13 PM

I knew Felicia 36 years ago when I was a second year medical student and she was an intern in Boston. She was looking for a roommate and graciously allowed me to be her roommate for that year and later turned the apartment over to me when she moved to California. I was active in the women's movement and trying to survive the hostile environment of medical school. Felicia was a support, an inspiration, and a role model. We never saw each other again after that year, but she remained an example to me of a pioneer who was willing to fight ferociously for what she believed was right for women. When I told my friend Marji Gold last fall that Felicia and I had been roommates, she told me that Felicia was sick. I sent off an email to her last November and got back the kind of warm, supportive, and gracious response for which Felicia was known. She wrote back: "I have such good memories of the intense political days, and our shared life." Now is our chance to share our good memories of HER intense political days. You can really say that Felicia Made a Difference! I'm sorry not to be able to be at the Memorial event. Lucy Candib, MD Family Health Center of Worcester and University of Massachusetts Medical School Submitted on Tue 6/6/2006 9:34 AM

I first met Felicia Stewart by reputation, by reading her books. I was thrilled to meet her in the flesh, so to speak, along with Gary and Bob and the gang, when I began attending the annual Contraception Technology conferences. She had a wacky, wonderful way of communicating information, which made it both pleasant and interesting to take in. And as Felicia got older the focus of her talks got "older" too. One year we were listening to contraception lectures-the next year as Felicia was going through menopause, her topics changed to reflect that and her new research in that field. She could laugh at herself as she was showing slides and having hot flashes. Over the years I found her to be very approachable. I work in college health, and there were several times when I was stumped by a question from a student. I know I could always call Felicia in her office in Sacramento, and get an answer, and her wisdom and input. I've always brought peer counseling students to the CT conferences, and have always prefaced their registration form-filling-out with the admonition to attend any lecture in which Felicia Stewart was speaking, so they could hear the master. I am sorry that future students of mine will not have that privilege and honor, and grateful that I did, for so many years. "Somewhere I heard that one voice couldn't make a difference. I spoke anyway." Boy, did that apply to Felicia! Amy Reichbach Health Educator Klotz Student Health Center California State University Northridge Submitted Mon 6/5/2006 5:58 PM

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