Lady Stewart

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians: 5: 8

God blessed us with the beautiful life of Lady Esther Stewart on January 26,1947, in Washington, DC. She was one of two children born to the late Prince E. Goldthwaite and Novella F. Goldthwaite. Affectionately known as “Lady Bug”, “Bug”, “Mom” and “Grandma Lady”. She departed this life on June 27, 2024.

Lady was an outstanding student and was recognized by educators and peers for her academic prowess. She attended nursery school in Dallas, Texas, and primary school in Washington, DC. In the fourth grade, she transferred to Holy Providence (HP) in Cornwell Heights, Pennsylvania. It was at HP, that the seeds of faith, organization and routine became defining aspects of her life. Lady graduated from Immaculata High School in Washington DC, and was one of eleven incoming freshmen from the area awarded a scholarship to attend Howard University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Zoology.

Lady’s professional career began at Litton Bionetics where she furthered her study in the field of zoology. While there and with the advent of the computer age, Lady acquired knowledge about computer systems. She shifted her focus from zoology to computer technology at George Washington University and later for SAIC where she was assigned to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. She retired in 2009.

In 1968, Lady met the love of her life, (the late) James F. Stewart of Midland, Pennsylvania. They married and from their union two children were born, a son Damien Goldthwaite and a daughter Autumn Nichole. Lady was a devoted wife and mother.

The door to the Stewart home was always open. All were welcome to enjoy good food, friendly conversation and her addictive iced tea. While her husband was an avid sports fan, Lady found joy watching the PBS channel, war movies, and historical documentaries. She also enjoyed reading Time magazine and watching “Dancing with the Stars” even though she didn’t always agree with the judges. The values that were instilled in her early life contributed to her regimented weekly schedule of chores, which were as predictable as the hands on a clock.

Lady was a devout Catholic who never missed a mass unless she was ill. During the pandemic, she would still faithfully attend service online. Her dedication to her faith was also evident when she read the Bible from beginning to end.

Lady was preceded in death by her parents Prince and Novella Goldthwaite and husband James F. Stewart. Memories of Lady will be cherished by her son Damien and his wife Jeninne; her daughter Autumn and her husband Keith; her sister Princess and her husband Douglass Peagler; and five grandchildren: Nicholas, Matthew, Sara, Aidan and Rebecca. Lady will also be remembered by a host of family and friends.

Funeral Mass will take place at 10:00 a.m., on July 24, 2024 at:

St. Mark's Catholic Church

7501 Adelphi Rd,

Hyattsville, MD 20783

A farewell reception will follow at 11:30 a.m. at:

Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home

11800 New Hampshire Ave,

Silver Spring, MD 20904