Obituary: Rebecca Knight Stewart, 61, Of Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Rebecca Knight Stewart, age 61, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, passed away peacefully in Rockville, Maryland on May 30, 2022.

Born in Lackawanna, near Buffalo, New York in 1960, she was the loving daughter of Edmund M. Knight and the late Elizabeth L. Bapst. She was the beloved mother of Joseph Daniel “Danny” Stewart and Ian James Stewart. She is survived by her two sons, ex-husband Joseph Stewart, her father, and siblings Gregory J. Knight, Alexander N. Knight, Stephen A. Knight, Jennifer S. Knight, and Edmund T. Knight.

After growing up in western New York, she moved to the Gaithersburg, MD area, just north of Washington, D.C. Rebecca completed college requirements to get a teacher’s assistant certificate to work as a para-educator in the Montgomery County, MD, public school system, where she was employed for over twelve years. She loved children and directed her talents to helping kids learn new skills, particularly in mathematics.

She was an outstanding cook, and specialized in vegetarian cuisine. Like her mother, Rebecca loved entertaining family members during holidays, preparing and serving cookies and tea.

Rebecca loved her two sons more than anything, and as a lifelong anglophile, enjoyed introducing them to British art, pop culture, and literature, such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis books, along with her favorite classic TV shows, including Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Prisoner, and Star Trek.

She also loved all things Liverpool, especially the Liverpool Football Club. She was a devoted animal lover; having rescued, raised, and cared for several stray cats and other animals. In addition to taking in numerous injured and homeless animals, she also volunteered at the Montgomery County SPCA, a local no-kill animal shelter.

Graveside funeral services will be held at Rockville Cemetery at 1350 Baltimore Road in Rockville, MD on Thursday, June 9 at 11:00 AM. A memorial service will be held the same day at Women’s Clubhouse at 316 Grove Ave in Washington Grove from 2:00-4:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Rebecca’s name to her favorite charity, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Submitted By: Danny Stewart