Melvine Edith Patricia Stuart, an educationist of long-standing and wide experience in the field of primary education, was the fourth daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Arthur Stuart. Her family hailed from Sierra Leone and the West Indies. Born on 26 February 1921, Melvine Stuart died on 25 March 1981, soon after her sixtieth birthday. Her nieces, nephews and the children of close friends knew her as 'Aunty Patty.' She attended the Freetown Secondary School for Girls where she attained her School Certificate, equivalent of the GCE 'O' levels. She then trained as a teacher in the Women's Teachers Training College (WTTC) in Freetown and later became headmistress of the school. She was among a group of teachers selected under a British Government-sponsored scheme to pursue the UK Teachers Certificate Course at Homerton College, Cambridge. In 1946, after successfully completing her studies, she returned home and was 'posted' to the primary division of the Ministry of Education.

Most of her working life was spent as a civil servant in the Ministry of Education from where she retired in 1971 as an inspector of schools. She served over 30 years both in Freetown and the provinces. Her work, for which she is still remembered and appreciated even today, included frequent travel to various parts of the country from her base in the headquarter towns of Bo and Kenema - a pioneering assignment for women education supervisors in those days.

On her retirement, Melvine Stuart was able to devote more time to areas of special interest, for example, the King Tom Police Primary School, nursery school education, health related social work, and work with the handicapped. She was a founder member of the National Association of the Societies for the Handicapped, an umbrella organisation covering the Cheshire home, the Society for the Deaf and Dumb, the School for the Blind, and other charitable organisations for the handicapped.

She had a distinct talent for music and drama and often found herself in drama and musical groups. She drew much comfort from her faith and was one of the founder members of a Bible-study group in her church.

Melvine Stuart never married and had no children of her own though she showed tremendous interest in the welfare of her nieces and nephews as well as assisting a few secondary school pupils needing help with their fees or careers. She was also a good counselor.