Melissa Roberts was born on April 22nd, 1931, to Margaret and John Roberts. Her siblings, Grace, Everest, Joel, and Mary, have all previously passed.   Because she was the last child, her mother called   her ‘Dearest', which became the name she was most popularly known by.
 

She moved to Trinidad after the birth of her first child, Monica, where she worked as a supermarket cashier and as a hairdresser, among other occupations.  A few years after arriving in Trinidad she had the first of two sons, Winston.  Dexter followed about five years later.  She left Trinidad for Montreal, Canada in 1976, where she was a domestic worker and nanny for several years. She also worked at The Grace Haven home for girls, run by The Salvation Army until retiring in 1996.

Throughout her life Melissa was active in the Anglican Church. In Trinidad she was a regular member of the congregation at St Michaels Church in Diego Martin followed by St. Margaret's Church in Port of Spain.  In Montreal, she became a member of the choir at St. Thomas Anglican Church and was a devoted attendee at one of the Sunday services until her health started failing in the last 15 months.
 

Melissa has had several bouts with cancer, the first (breast) occurring in the early 1990s. Several years after a second bout with breast cancer, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Since then, she has had a number of emergency visits to the hospital, with one visit lasting several months. During that stay, in September of 2024, her doctors found that the cancer had returned and was untreatable. A few months later, she was moved to hospice care. She made it past her 94th birthday, passing on April 23rd, 2025.
 

Melissa leaves behind three children (Monica Roberts, Winston Roberts [Judith White], Dexter Roberts [Maureen McMeo-Roberts], four grandchildren Tyrone Sandy, Stacey Chandler, Jabari Roberts, Jelani Roberts) and four great grandchildren. She also left several friends and close relatives to mourn her passing, including longtime friend Jacqueline Sandy, nephew Dominic Roberts, and niece Marion Roberts.
 

A funeral service, and celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 10th.  There will be a viewing at 2:00 pm, and service at 3:00 pm at St. Thomas Anglican Church, 6897 Somerled Avenue in Montreal.