RALEIGH, NC/SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dr. Erin Stewart Lindquist passed away peacefully in her home on August 2, surrounded by her loving family.
Dr. Erin Stewart Lindquist was born in Saratoga Springs on September 27, 1975 to Shari Stewart and Dr. Jack Lindquist. She attended Saratoga Springs Schools and graduated in 1993. Erin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cornell University in 1997, and received her doctorate in ecology from the University of Georgia in 2003. During her youth she was an accomplished horse rider, winning awards and participating in national equestrian show jump competitions, as well as participating in the polo team at Cornell.
Since 2006, Erin distinguished herself as professor of Biology and Environmental Sustainability at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Before Meredith College, she served as a faculty for the Organization for Tropical Studies, leading undergraduate and graduate students in courses in Costa Rica, and authoring the definitive scientific book on the trees of her beloved Cabo Blanco in Costa Rica.
Erin is predeceased by her father Dr. Jack Lindquist. Erin is survived by her mother Shari Stewart of Saratoga Springs, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins. Erin is survived by her husband Marcelo Ardón Sayão and their two children Amaya Grey and Jaxson Antonio Ardón-Lindquist, and also by her in-laws Jose Ardón Castro and Edith Salgado Sayão, and brother and sister-in-law Jose Antonio and Ana Paula Ardón Sayão.
Erin nurtured a wide circle of friends and science colleagues from around the world. She was a devoted friend who always made an effort to visit friends and help everybody she could. Erin loved to travel, and she especially cherished her time teaching and conducting research with students in Costa Rica. Erin instilled her love of plants and the outdoors to many students in Costa Rica and North Carolina, and by inspiring everybody around her to constantly improve themselves, she continuously contributed to making the world a kinder place. With grace, strength, and dignity, she dealt with cancer for seven years, continuing to enjoy every minute with her kids, while inspiring all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Dr. Erin Stewart Lindquist Scholarship fund at Meredith College. Visit www.meredith.edu/give to make online contributions. To ensure contributions are accurately identified, please select ‘other’ and type Dr. Erin Stewart Lindquist Scholarship Fund.
Checks can be mailed to:
Meredith College
Attn: Institutional Advancement
3800 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC 27607.
Add Dr. Erin Stewart Lindquist Scholarship Fund on memo line.
