Dafina Stewart

A visitation will be held at Forest Park Funeral Home, located at 114-03 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375, United States. The visitation is scheduled for July 11, 2025, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The service will be available via live stream from 5:45 to 7:15. Saturday will be a short service at 9:30 to 11 AM before leaving for the cemetery. Burial will be at Cypress Hills Cemetery 833 Jamaica Ave. Brooklyn at 11:30 AM.Dafina Virginia Stewart passed on June 16, 2025. She was 45. Dafina leaves behind her beloved mother Verginia Stewart, brother Diallo Stewart, sister-in-law Corrie Stewart, aunts, uncles, cousins (including close cousin and caregiver Constance Campbell), and a number of treasured family and friends.

Born on July 11, 1979, in Kingston, Jamaica, Dafina was a bright light for her family and friends. Her love of books and learning was evident at a young age. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her JD at Columbia Law School. She was curious and wanted to understand the world around her. Her career included working for elite global firms and the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC, where she was an officer in the Legal Division. It encompassed a range of practices and experiences that reflected her interest in her chosen field of banking and the law.

Dafina was an accomplished needleworker. She leaves behind a wonderful legacy of hand-knitted and crocheted sweaters, socks, and hats that will be treasured and worn by her friends and their babies and toddlers. She also loved stationery and was a trusted advisor on choosing planners, stickers, and pens. We are heartbroken by our loss, but know she is now in the grace of God and with her beloved father, Ralph Stewart.

The funeral service and repast are held on July 11, 2025 from 5 PM - 9 PM at Schwartz Funeral Home, 114-03 Queens Blvd; Forest Hills, NY 11473. Final viewing and burial procession will take place on July 12, 2025 at 9 AM. Dafina will be interred at the Cypress Hills Cemetery, 833 Jamaica Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11208.

Condolences can be sent to Ms. Verginia Stewart at 9418 133rd Street, #1; South Richmond Hill, NY 11419. Donations may be sent in Dafina’s name to the National Pancreas Foundation (https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-resources/black-african-american-initiative/) or the Ron Foley Foundation (https://www.ronfoleyfoundation.org/).