Ralph "Stewart" Guernsey

Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford Ralph Stewart Guernsey Born September 9, 1951, Jackson, Mississippi; Died August 22, 2024, Oxford Mississippi. Stewart was the second of four children born to Sue Stewart Dunning Guernsey and Judge Carl Eugene Guernsey of Jackson. His parents and two younger siblings, Gene Guernsey, and Dr Julia Guernsey Shaw Pitchford, predeceased him. He is survived by his older Sister, Dr Elizabeth G Jacobs (W. Carl Jacobs M.D.) of Atlanta GA and now Charlotte North Carolina. Also surviving are five nieces and nephews: Dr Katherine Jacobs of Leesburg VA; W. Carl Jacobs Jr, m.d. (Joelle) of Charlotte North Carolina; Melissa Cooper of Columbus Mississippi; Nicholas Guernsey (Carolyn) of Atlanta, Georgia; and Christopher Shaw of Monroe Louisiana. He leaves behind also 9 great nieces and nephews. Stewart was married twice, to Nan Johnson 1992-2006, and later to Carol Guernsey from 2008-2022. He had no children. Stewart graduated from Murrah High School in Jackson in 1969. He attended the University of Mississippi, graduating in 1973, but he stayed on to earn a law degree (JD) in 1977. In 1982 he moved to Boston in pursuit of the Masters of Divinity (MDiv) from Harvard which he finished in 1987. Stewart nurtured a charming eccentric personality which entertained his many friends. In his final years he could be seen in a tweed sport coat with a carved wooden walking cane -- holding court in some gathering or other. His nieces remember with amusement a tea party he once held for the female residents of his assisted living facility. Stewart was known for his compassion to homeless people and to all people otherwise marginalized in our society. Some of his best work happened while he was pursuing the Divinity degree at Harvard. His first wife Nan remembers: "Stewart was so caring that he actually lived on the streets of Boston himself for a time, to experience a little of what is like to be without a home and he said it was terrifying, so he had real empathy for those who struggled.” Stewart’s work with the homeless included two groundbreaking experiments in rehoming the homeless. He persuaded the city of Boston to donate an abandoned house for his first project by staging a sit in on the Boston Commons. Nan describes the projects this way: “Stewart’s first and most amazing project was Family House in Dorchester MA. Stewart created a real family atmosphere where everyone shared chores and ate meals together. All the residents had formerly lived on the streets due to mental illness or financial loss or drug usage, though all were clean and sober [as a condition of being admitted] when they came to Family House. It was a permanent home, not a halfway house. Second Home came later on, more like a studio apartment complex, and Stewart and I lived there after we were married in 1992.” In 1990, he was awarded the prestigious “First Decade Award” signed by the Dean of the Divinity School and the President of the Alumni Association for his work establishing and running the houses. After his time in Boston, Stewart did some interim work for an anti-poverty organization in the Delta. After moving back to Northern Mississippi in 1998, Stewart put his law degree to work. For the remainder of his career Stewart practiced law, taking on many clients who were unable to afford the usual legal fees. He also preached from time to time, including at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tupelo as well as First Presbyterian Church of Oxford, The good that Stewart accomplished will endure in the lives of those he helped. Stewart the man will be remembered with affection by his friends. No public memorial service is planned. Instead the family will gather at Thanksgiving to remember their loved one, and Mississippi friends are planning a separate private memorial. Contributions in Stewart’s memory can be made to the organization of your choice which provides support and relief to the homeless of your community. The Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford staff is honored to serve the family during this challenging season of life. Online condolences may be composed on his Tribute Wall at www.colemanfuneralhomeox.com

Ralph "Stewart" Guernsey

September 9, 1951 - August 22, 2024

Explore Obituaries &
Upcoming Services