Maria Meli Stewart

COLUMBIA - A Mass of Christian Burial for Maria Meli Stewart, 93, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 3, 2025 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with burial in the church columbarium. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.

Mrs. Stewart died Thursday, March 27, 2025. Born on the island of Malta, she was a daughter of the late Saviora Meli and Josephine Zammit Meli.

Maria worked as a seamstress for many years, as well as a part-time housekeeper at a Presbyterian Home. She did intricate work with her hands and practiced efficiency in all areas of her life. She was fiercely independent and a hard worker. Selfless and compassionate, she cared for others and provided for them in any way she could.

Maria was a long-time member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Columbia. She volunteered with Respite Care and provided companionship for folks with dementia. She helped in the nursery, donated clothing, and faithfully attended weekly Mass.

Maria loved gardening and was known for having a green thumb. She loved the outdoors and felt most relaxed walking on the beach during family vacations. Maria loved cooking, especially for her family; she provided food for lonely neighbors around the holidays, and made sure no one went hungry. In her younger years she enjoyed knitting, walking, and even though she worked as a seamstress, also enjoyed sewing and mending clothes for friends. She loved listening to vocalists like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Doris Day. She was a devout Catholic and routinely prayed her rosary before breakfast each morning. Born on the Feast Day of St. Joseph, she especially appreciated devotions for the saint, as well as the Blessed Mother Mary.

Maria was a firecracker. Dependable and no-nonsense, she could be counted on to show up with love and discipline in all areas of life. While she could be a little rough around the edges, she had a tender heart that served those around her with grace. She will be remembered for how protective she was of her family, for her love of the ocean, for her care for babies and infants, for her resilience and strength, and for the ways she overcame immense life challenges to provide for her family in the best ways she could.

Surviving are her daughter, Paula Christina Stewart; son, Steven Thomas Stewart; and grandchildren, Morgan Ashley Stewart and Karri Anne Stewart.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Robert Carl Stewart and sister, Theresa Ericson.

Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, 3600 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.