Nancy Van Zile Stewart Litwak, 39, a cherished native of Montgomery, Alabama, and a beloved resident of Belmont, North Carolina, passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Her passing followed a life defined by remarkable professional achievement, intellectual brilliance, and deep, abiding devotion to her family and community.
Nancy was an accomplished attorney and a founding partner of Rosenwood, Rose & Litwak, where her practice focused on commercial, construction, and business-related civil litigation. Her excellence in the legal profession was widely recognized; she was named among North Carolina’s “Super Lawyers” every year since 2017. While she valued these honors, those who knew Nancy understood that her professional success was only one facet of her extraordinary life.
A gifted and multifaceted individual, Nancy was fluent in French, athletic, and deeply engaged in the arts, appearing in numerous theatrical productions over the years. She was a lifelong learner and high achiever, graduating magna cum laude from Montgomery Academy in 2005, magna cum laude from Georgetown University in 2009, and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 2012, where she was awarded the Chancellor’s Scholars Award.
Beyond her many accolades, Nancy was, above all, a devoted wife and mother. She shared a loving marriage of 10 years with her husband, Brian James Litwak, and was a proud and attentive mother to her son, Samuel Stewart Litwak, and her daughter, Ann Rosalind Litwak. Despite the demands of her career, Nancy always reserved her best for her family, remaining in close and constant contact with those she loved.
Nancy was also a community leader, an enthusiastic reader, and a gracious host. She especially loved Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass and Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides, rereading each annually. She found comfort and inspiration in music, which she regarded as balm for the soul, and she was a devoted fan of Joni Mitchell. Known for her warmth and generosity, Nancy could cook beautifully and host gatherings that brought people together with ease and joy.
She is survived by her husband, Brian; her children, Samuel and Ann Rosalind; her parents, Charles Andrew “Chuck” Stewart III and Ann Shashy Stewart of Montgomery; her sister, Katherine Stewart Curtin, and her husband, Kyle, of San Francisco, California; and a wide and loving circle of uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends from every chapter of her life. She was preceded in death by her beloved younger brother, Charles Andrew Stewart IV.
A memorial service will be conducted by the Rev. Lauren Byrd on Tuesday, January 13, at 11 a.m. at McLean’s Funeral Home, 700 S. New Hope Road, Gastonia. A private burial will follow.
Memorial contributions in Nancy’s name may be made to a community theater of one’s choice.
Roll Tide and Hoya Saxa, Nancy. Tu étais le meilleur et le plus brillant.
“Happiness is not in another place, but this place… not for another hour but for this hour.”
— Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman
“The only word for goodness is goodness, and it is not enough.”
— The Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy
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