Catherine Stewart McCarthy

McCarthy, Catherine Stewart, 93, of Tappahannock, VA, died September 27, 2025 surrounded by her devoted family. 

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years, Eugene Byrl McCarthy, Jr., her parents, Catherine Elizabeth Stewart and William Cameron Stewart, and brother, William Cameron Stewart, Jr. 

She is survived by her three children, Catherine M. Sgroi and husband, Joseph A. Sgroi, Mary Cameron McCarthy, and Eugene Byrl McCarthy III and his wife, Lucile W. McCarthy; grandchildren, Elizabeth Cameron Sgroi (Cynthia), Joseph Eugene Sgroi (Brittney), Eugene Byrl McCarthy IV (Jordan), and Elizabeth McCarthy Jewell (Jacob); great-grandchildren Hudson, Mac, Alden and Carson; and sister Elizabeth Stewart Southerland. 

Catherine, or “Trink” as she was known to so many, was born October 11, 1931 in Norfolk, VA and as a young girl moved with her mother and grandmother to Richmond, VA. Growing up in Lakeside, she met some of her best friends who remained close, referring to themselves as the “Golden Girls.” After graduating from Glen Allen High School, she attended the College of William and Mary where she deepened her love of History. During college, she fell in love with her childhood paperboy, Gene, and they married. His work took the family to Raleigh, NC where they made more wonderful friendships and many fond memories. 

The last 47 years of Catherine’s life were spent on the Rappahannock River where she became an active member of the Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula and enjoyed serving on the vestry, altar guild, and flower guild of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tappahannock. Catherine was exceptionally talented in sewing, needlework, flower arranging, gardening and cooking. She shared her talents throughout her life in the clothes she made for her children and grandchildren, the tasteful way she decorated her homes, the carefully chosen plants in her blue garden, and the dinners she prepared for many special occasions. Catherine loved sports, from following ACC basketball and playing tennis, to cheering for her children and grandchildren on the court and field; she never missed a game. 

A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tappahannock, VA on October 10, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, P.O. Box 91891, Washington, D.C. 20090-1891.