Bill Stewart, 67, of the RV Technical Institute, Has Passed – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
RV Technical Institute (RVTI) Director of Education William “Bill” S. Stewart, age 67, of Canton, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 14, 2025, after a brief illness. He was born on May 27, 1957 in Canton to the late, William D.G. Stewart and Lucy (Stewart) Evans.
A Memorial Service will be held at 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 26 at Reed Funeral Home, 801 Pittsburg Ave. NW, North Canton, Ohio, 44720. Calling hours will be 3-5 p.m., Wednesday (March 26) prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to New Home Church (1639 Sperry Lane SE, Canton, OH 44709) where Bill participated in the music ministry.
Bill joined the RVTI staff in 2021 as its Director of Education. In addition to being a Level 4 Certified RV technician, Bill held certifications from Cummins, Grand Design, Heartland, and several others, according to the release announcing his hiring. He was master certified in both Mercury Marine and ASE automotive and light-duty trucks.
Bill’s responsibilities included the continued improvement of the RVTI signature curriculum and the development of additional curriculum to meet the needs of the RVTI customers.
“Bill’s passion is training and motivating people to achieve goals they did not think were possible,” the release continued. “He recognizes that a business leader’s most important role is to coach, train, and develop people’s skillsets, emphasizing that this can change their life. His goal at RV Technical Institute is to train technicians to better serve customers.”
“Throughout the years, people have helped me,” Bill said a the time of his RVTI appointment. “I’m just paying it forward.”
In his previous roles as a general manager, general sales manager, and parts and service director, Bill exhibited strong leadership skills and a proven track record of maximizing profitability in various types of business. Prior to joining RVTI, he previously had worked for General RV as the technician trainer where he set up training programs to promote the growth of RV technicians. Bill attended the University of Michigan and graduated from General Motors Institute with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology.
RVTI Executive Director Curt Hemmeler told RVBusiness that Stewart reminded him of the “story of the little boy walking along the beach,” below, which was adapted from “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977):
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
“His passion and dedication to training EVERY tech he could is a testament to his passion and love of his job,” Hemmeler said. “He loved his decade at General RV, but he wanted to have a bigger impact than one company. He wanted to impact the industry. Bill as an individual always wanted the ball, whether it was kicking a field goal for the Chicago Bears, singing at Christmas in front of thousands at Carnegie Hall, or in the classroom in front of brand new techs. Bill was put on this earth to entertain and teach. He was the best!”
In a separate announcement, RVIA said Stewart was “a valued member of our team,” and that RVIA and RVTI are “exploring ways to honor his memory, and the lasting contributions Bill made to so many in the RV industry and beyond.”
“He was widely known for his kindness, dedication, and a positive energy he brought to every interaction,” RVIA officials stated. “His presence will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of working alongside him. Bill carried much pride in giving of himself and teaching others, and his teaching impacted thousands of people and RV technicians over his more than 40 years in the RV industry. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Bill’s family, friends, and everyone who is feeling this loss.
RV Dealers Association President Phil Ingrassia also expressed his condolences on behalf of the association: “RVDA sends condolences to Bill’s family and many friends throughout the industry. Bill was passionate about the service side of the RV business and was dedicated to providing training, encouragement, and support to RVTI students and certified technicians.”
According to his obituary published by Reed Funeral Home, Bill dedicated over 40 years of his life to the automotive and RV industry, traveling across the country to train RV technicians. His passion for his work was matched only by his love for singing at church and spending quality time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Known affectionately as “Dr. Bill,” he was always ready to lend a hand, whether it was fixing a car or tackling home maintenance issues. His generous spirit and sense of humor will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Bill is survived by his wife, Peggy; his children, Steven (Tracie), Patrick (Lanie), and Megan (A.J.); his grandchildren, Aiden, Nathan, Brynne, Tyler, Emmy and Brody; his sisters, Ginger Muller (Bob) and Darlamarrie Dorsey (Rob); his brother- and sister-in-law David and Tami Allan, along with many cherished family, friends and work colleagues.
People are invited to visit www.reedfuneralhome.com to share condolences and fond memories.
