Stewart, Virginia Maxine

Former missionary to Thailand dies

Virginia Maxine Stewart, an Alabama native who served as a missionary to Thailand for 36 years, died Nov. 24. She was 93.

Stewart taught school for several years before moving to Thailand with her husband, Bob, and three young children. While there, she ministered in hospitals, taught English, directed an orientation program for Thai women married to American soldiers, worked with refugees and served as a foreign correspondent for Baptist Press for 18 years, sending in 717 articles during that time.

Since retiring in 1994, Maxine Stewart has spoken or played Thai hymns on the ranat-ek, similar to a xylophone, more than 800 times in 16 states. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, three children and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. (TAB)