IT was a moving and touching ceremony on Thursday, as many persons paid tribute, in song and in words, to the late Director of Music and Culture, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart, during a ceremony held at the Eve Leary Sports Club. Starting at 11:30 hours, persons were able to view the body, and pay tribute to Stuart, who was revered as an honourable woman. Following an outpouring of tributes, the body of the policewoman was taken to Berbice for burial. Celebrated as the first female Guyana Police Force (GPF) Band Leader, in the band’s 182-year history, Stuart died suddenly on April 21, after she was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) complaining of chest pains. She was 55 years old.
Stuart became the GPF’s first band mistress in 2016, after over 30 years of dedicated service to the force. In 2017, the year after being appointed to the helm of the police band, Stuart was named the best overall cop at the force’s annual awards ceremony. At that time, she was wearing several hats aside from the Director of Culture and Music.
She was also the Chairman of the Joint Services Committee, Vice-President of the Guyana Association of Women Police and the coordinator of the police’s literacy and debating society.