Catherine Ann (“Kate”) Stewart passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 19, 2017 in Raleigh, NC, surrounded by her loving family.
Kate was born in Norwich on August 1, 1937, the second of six children to Joseph E. (“Pep”) and Rose Maiurano. She graduated from Norwich High School in 1955 and went on to earn a degree in Education from SUNY Cortland in 1959. In 1962, she married Kenneth W. Stewart, also of Norwich, and was blessed with two children, Kenneth M. and James E Stewart.
Kate was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth, in 1997; her mother and father, Rose and Joseph Maiurano; and her brother, James Maiurano. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth and Lorraine Stewart and James and Michelle Stewart; her grandchildren and grandson-in-law, Tracy and Paul DeMarco, Amanda Stewart, Joshua Stewart, Jacob Stewart, Rebecca Stewart, Rachel Stewart, and Ruthie Stewart; her great-grandchildren, Wade and Wesley DeMarco and Arthur and Henry White; her sisters and brother-in-law, Rosaria DelMonico and Mary and Richard Fern; and her brothers and sisters-in-law, Francis (“Pep”) and Carol Maiurano, and Joseph P. and Dawn Maiurano. Kate is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and their children.
Throughout her life, Kate was a beacon in the Norwich community, shaping young minds first as a special education teacher at Norwich Junior High School, then as a K-5 teacher at Perry Brown Elementary School, and later serving on the Norwich Public Schools Board of Education. She was a gifted artist, excelling at both pen and ink and watercolor, and constantly sought opportunities to learn and hone her craft. What Kate will be remembered for most, however, is her love and special connection with children. She had a way of making every child feel like the most important person in the room. She made imaginations come to life, she fostered countless lifelong loves of reading, and no concern was ever too small for her attention. Kate loved her family above all else and was happiest when she was with her children and grandchildren – whether on the floor playing make-believe, snapping photos of impromptu dress-up fashion shows, curled up sharing a special book, or laughing together at the dinner table. Kate’s spirit could light up a room, and she will be dearly missed by her family and all those whose lives she touched along the way.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Kate will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, at the Church of St. Bartholomew where Rev. Ralph Bove, pastor, will officiate. Burial will place immediately follow at St. Paul’s Cemetery. Friends are invited to call at the Wilson Funeral Home on Monday, November 27, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Kate’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1893, Memphis, TN 38101-9950.