The Honorable Donna F. Edwards
Honoring the Life and Service of Sheila Leigh Stewart
December 5, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and service of Sheila Leigh Stewart, a former resident of Laurel in the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland. She died unexpectedly and tragically on October 24, 2013. A memorial service for Sheila will be held on Friday, December 6, 2013, at First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Landover, Maryland. I want to remember the legacy Ms. Stewart leaves behind.
Ms. Sheila Stewart had a long and distinguished career of more than 25 years in the broadcasting industry. She epitomized the traits of a good citizen, serving our communities as an organizer of engagement and charitable giving. I join all of the metropolitan Washington area in mourning the loss of a great woman and unparalleled public citizen.
Ms. Stewart was born in Fairfield County, South Carolina, on February 28, 1969. She graduated from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism, and also worked as an adjunct Professor of Journalism at several colleges.
Known by radio listeners as “Ms. Community,” Ms. Stewart worked for years in Charlotte at Power98, WPEG-FM, where she served as on-air-personality and news and public affairs director. When she relocated to the Washington, DC, area, Sheila worked as the news and community affairs director for Radio One. She was at the helm of news programming at WKYS, Radio One’s DC station, and the company’s other affiliates, including Praise 104.1, WPRS-FM.
At Radio One, Ms. Stewart was instrumental in advocating on behalf of community issues, nonprofit organizations, and events that helped improve neighborhoods throughout our region. She was guided in every way by her faith. Her energy and passion to make change will be missed.
With her passing, it is my hope that Sheila Leigh Stewart has found the peace earned from such a wonderful life. Ms. Stewart made a difference in our community with everything she did, and I am grateful for her life and service to Prince George’s County, Maryland, and our country.
On behalf of this House, I extend our condolences to her entire family, especially her precious young son, Jonathan Henry Russell; her mother, Dorothy Stewart; her four sisters; her three brothers; and Radio One, and the thanks of a grateful nation. I will miss her tremendously.
