How do you measure the impact of someone’s life?

So many theories exist, but I’ve always looked at someone’s legacy, the impact they leave behind, to be measured by the amount of people they touch in profound, life-changing ways.

That’s why I’m having such a difficult time putting into words the legacy left behind by Donald M. Stewart, who passed away in Lawrence on October 24, 2025.

As a family man, Don was beloved by his dear wife Royalynn, his sons Craig and Brian, and his daughters-in-law and grandchildren.

As a professional, Don led hospital systems, served on boards of directors and garnered more awards than we can count.

And as a mentor, he personally changed the trajectory of lives across the country.

A Look Back

Of the aforementioned “roles” of Don’s life, I’m most qualified to talk about his role as a mentor. But first, a little back story.

Some who are reading this might not know the history, but the Kansas Health Foundation only exists today because of the vision and passion of Don Stewart. After a 20-year tenure leading the hospital in Hays, Kansas, Don came to Wichita in 1983 as President of Wesley Hospital. As he settled into his new role, he surveyed the landscape facing independent nonprofit hospitals during that era and began to wonder how the hospital could thrive and how more Kansans could not just receive care, but also truly have improved health.

The results of his vision were radical at the time. In 1985, Wesley was sold to the for-profit company Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), and the proceeds were used to create the organizations today known as the Kansas Health Foundation (based in Wichita) and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (based in Hutchinson). During the past 40 years, these two organizations have combined to provide nearly $1 billion in grant funding to support health-driven and preventive efforts in Kansas. This impact is simply astonishing!

In Walks Don

Now, back to how it connects to me.

In 2006, fresh out of college, I took a job in the communication department at KHF. I knew nothing about nonprofits. I knew nothing about grant-making. I knew nothing about foundations. I knew nothing about health prevention. Really, I didn’t know much about anything. I was, after all, just 22.

Early on in the work, I grew frustrated, not understanding how my job each day contributed to the mission of the organization, much less understanding how the organization helped Kansans be healthier.

Within a few months, I decided to finish a year or two at KHF to get experience, and then move on to other professional endeavors that would no doubt (in my mind) make more sense, fit better with my skill set and be more profitable.

But a funny thing happened on my way to this master plan… I met Don Stewart.

In 2007, KHF underwent a leadership transition, and during this time our Board of Directors asked Don to serve as interim CEO. Anyone who has ever been through this type of transition as an employee knows the feelings and thoughts at those moments. Uncertainty. Fear. Questions that don’t yet have answers. I was no different.

Those feelings of unease were eliminated as soon as Don walked into a staff meeting. He was gentle and funny. Warm and wise. Kind and knowledgeable. He named the feelings we likely all had. He complimented the work that was happening. He cast vision on the path we needed to travel, and he offered to be a resource to all of us during the interim period.

Even if I stopped the story right there, I believe it would still be worthy of this article. One man, single-handedly, allayed the fears and anxieties of an entire organization (going through a rough patch) in about 20 minutes. Phenomenal!

But the story doesn’t end there.

Over the next 10 months while he served as Interim CEO, Don took a special interest in an ambitious, hard-working, but totally clueless young professional (me). I didn’t ask him to make that effort. I didn’t deserve for him to take that time. But he did. And my life was forever changed.

We bonded over a love of Kansas road trips and big-time sporting events. We shared our small-town roots and journeys of faith. He taught me what it meant to be a professional who leads through compassion and kindness, while always holding to purpose and progress. Every day was a masterclass in what it meant to be a change-maker, what it meant to be a servant and how a single person can change lives and shape futures.

Lasting Impact

Twenty years later, and I’m still at KHF. Today, I serve as Chief Strategy Officer, and hopefully I’m no longer totally clueless. It hasn’t always been an easy ride. No job is easy, and no organization is perfect. There have been plenty more times I thought surely my future was somewhere other than here.

But, at all those times, I remembered Don’s steady presence, his calm demeanor, and how he lived and breathed the idea of being a part of something bigger than yourself. Each day at KHF, I have that opportunity.

You never know where the greatest lessons in life will come from. In my case, they came from the teachings of an Abilene-born, retired healthcare executive who came into my life at just the right time.