Vale – Lillian Stewart
Taken suddenly from us, aged 29.
In such a short time, Lillian made a lasting mark on our ocean sailing community. She embraced life with courage and curiosity, continually pushed beyond her comfort zone, forged friendships and left us with a deeper appreciation for the extraordinary marine world around us.
Lill will be remembered in many ways by the people whose lives she touched. Above all, we will remember her infectious energy and smile, adventurous spirit, generosity, wonderful sense of humour and her willingness to take on new challenges, all driven by a genuine desire to make a difference.
Lill began her sailing career in 2021 aboard Magellan in Hobart, skippered by Richard Grant, completing her first Westcoaster in 2022. Over the next four years, she honed her skills, sailed more than 10,000 nautical miles, competed double-handed aboard White Spirit in the Melbourne to Osaka race and bought her own boat. She brought us along on this extraordinary journey through her photographs, videos and entertaining captions, sharing the highs, challenges and sheer joy of life at sea. In 2023, Lillian received the ORCV Crew Encouragement Award.
Lill's professional life as a marine scientist naturally extended her passion for sailing. She became the ORCV's Sustainability Warrior, finding engaging, accessible and often humorous ways to connect our sailing community with the marine environment we all love.
She reminded us about single-use plastics and forever chemicals, encouraged us to reduce our consumption and showed us how to sort our waste correctly. But Lill's message went well beyond our rubbish bins. She brought the wildlife of our sailing destinations into our lives, teaching us about the vulnerable Hobart Hand Fish and the penguins of King Island. And who could forget her wonderfully cheeky educational tiles asking whether we'd seen the Apollo Bay nudies!
Lill had a unique gift for introducing us to the remarkable creatures sharing our oceans. She encouraged us to pause, look a little closer and think differently about our impact on the environment. By making sustainability memorable, engaging and fun, she helped inspire the ORCV's work in this area, contributing to Australian Sailing recognising the ORCV as the national winner for sustainability in 2024.
Yet Lill's contribution was about so much more than the knowledge she shared. It was the way she lived: embracing opportunities, being present in the moment, celebrating the adventure and bringing others along for the ride. Her humour, enthusiasm and infectious smile shone through every post and photograph, while her growing skills, commitment and adventurous spirit made her such a valued crewmate.
Lillian sadly passed away following a medical event in Sydney last week. Our heartfelt thoughts are with her family, friends and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.
Details of Lill's life celebration, including a livestream for those unable to attend in person, will be shared by her family when available.
Fair winds and following seas, Lill. Your journey was far too short, but what a difference you made along the way.
