Catherine Leech Stewart

Mrs. Catherine Jane (Leech) Stewart, born on January 27, 1925 in St. Petersburg, Florida, to the late Helen McCurdy Leech Funck and the late Clarence Leech, continued on to her next exciting journey on July 18, 2018.

Catherine grew up in St. Petersburg, FL and graduated from St. Petersburg High School, before fulfilling her dream to go to Art and Design School in New York City. It was there that she met the love of her life, Ellsworth Rose. Catherine and Ellsworth lived in NYC until his death in the 1960s. Catherine was then married to Bob Stewart from the 1970s until his death in 1992.

She was a talented and acclaimed designer in the Fashion and Home Furnishing Design industry at Vera Studio in New York, until retiring in 1980. After retirement, Catherine and Bob moved from New York to Cary NC to be near family and friends. Catherine was a huge fan of the arts and enjoyed drawing, painting, attending plays, visiting art museums, traveling the world, and reading. You could engage her for hours in any discussion related to European travel, or anything related to New York, New England, or Paris. Catherine's faith was also a big part of her life, and until her decline in health, she was a Stephen Minister and prayer group member at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh NC.

Catherine was a lady of unique elegance, grace, dignity, kindness, beauty, and intelligence. Her wicked sense of humor and extraordinary presence will be greatly missed by her extended family of nieces, nephews, and cousins, her dear friends, and even those who had the privilege of knowing Catherine for a short period of time.

Catherine was an avid cat-lover, so in lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Catherine's name to Goathouse Refuge, 680 Alton Alston Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312 and Second Chance Pet Adoptions, 6003 Chapel Hill Rd Ste 133, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Friends and family members may attend the memorial service, officiated by Dr. Ed McCleod, on Tuesday, July 24 at 10:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 112 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601. Brown-Wynne Funeral Home is handling arrangements, 200 Southeast Maynard Road, Cary, NC.