Koliwe Ntokozo Moyo

From her passions for African-American literature and public service, to her discerning palate and her notorious collection of colorful handbags, Koliwe's life was marked by a sense of refinement and compassion that blessed the lives of everyone around her.

She was born on June 8, 1976, to Regina (Nkomo) and Dr. Edwin Moyo in Birmingham, Alabama.

Koliwe attended Advent Day School. She graduated from Indian Springs High School in 1994. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree in English with a minor in French from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1998, followed by her law degree from the Howard University School of Law in 2001.

On September 26, 2009, she married Geoffrey Ransom Stephens at her family home in Indian Springs, Alabama. Geoffrey and Koliwe lived in Baltimore, Maryland, and she worked in the D.C. and Maryland state governments, dedicating her life to the causes of education and child and family welfare.

All her life, Koliwe could console and comfort anyone with her warm spirit, her brilliant intellect, and her whimsical sense of humor.

A proud member of the Indian Springs School Glee Club, Koliwe loved music and could make a playlist for every mood and occasion-she even had a playlist for the shower. She spent time relaxing by reading, watching makeup videos on YouTube, and making and sharing her own VaniK videos.

She was preceded in death by her father and her son, Charles.

She is survived by her husband, Geoffrey; her mother, Regina; her sisters, Zandile and Sipiwe (Leeroy); her brother, Artwell (Emily); and her nieces and nephews.

The ceremony celebrating Koliwe's charmed life will be held at Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home, 475 Cahaba Valley Road, Pelham, AL 35124 on December 29, 2017, at 11 a.m., with a reception to follow at the home of Koliwe's parents.