Melvoid J. Benson
Melvoid J. Benson

June 11, 2016
Born in Jackson, TN
Resided in North Kingstown, RI

Obituary

Melvoid J. Benson (Estes), 86, a longtime educator, RI State Representative and North Kingstown School Committee member, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 11, 2016. She was the wife of the late Arnathia Benson; and mother of the late Gilbert Nathaniel Benson and Estes Arnathia Benson.
Born in Jackson, TN, she was a daughter of the late Melvoid and Bertha (Walker) Estes.
Mrs. Benson received a BA from Lane College in 1951.
A teacher for the Town of North Kingstown for over thirty years before retiring; she taught at Hamilton Elementary, Quonset Elementary, Davisville Middle School and Wickford Middle School.
The Honorable Melvoid J. Benson was the first African-American woman to be elected to the Rhode Island legislature from the Second Congressional District.
She served District 32 for seven terms in the RI General Assembly as a State Representative from 1990 until 2004. She later served on the North Kingstown School Committee for eight years.
On June 13, 2016, President Barack Obama signed legislation sponsored by Congressman James R. Langevin (D-RI) and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7715 Post Road in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, as the "Melvoid J. Benson Post Office Building."
She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the RI Economic Development Corporation where she served on the Board of Directors, Central Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Delta, NAACP, and North Kingstown Democratic Town Committee. North Kingstown United Methodist Church, and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Rep. Benson served as President of the North Kingstown Democratic Women's Club; also serving on the RI Racial, Religious and Ethnic Commission, the RI Committee on Women, RI Port Authority, the RI State Democratic Committee, State Democratic Women's Organization and the Urban League.
She served as Chair of the South County Caucus of Legislators and the RI Women's Caucus.
Mel was a devoted member of the North Kingstown United Methodist Church for thirty-nine years, attending her first service on Easter Sunday, 1977; and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Melvoid is survived by a niece, Francetta (David) White and a nephew, Robert L. Drain. She is further survived by many nieces and nephews, numerous cousins and an extensive network of friends.

Besides her husband and sons, she was preceded in death by her brother Atty. James F. Estes, Sr., sisters Ozielle Drain and Bertha Green, nephew James F. Estes, Jr. and niece Gwendolyn Estes.
Her funeral service will be held Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 8am in the North Kingstown United Methodist Church, 450 Boston Neck Road. Burial will follow in the RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Visiting hours Friday 4-8pm in the FAGAN-QUINN Funeral Home, 825 Boston Neck Road, North Kingstown. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Estes Benson Scholarship Fund, in care of Dr. Donald Cunnigen, Department of Sociology-Anthropology, URI, Kingston, RI 02881or to North Kingstown United Methodist Church Kitchen Fund will be appreciated.

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Services

Visitation
Fagan-Quinn Funeral Home
825 Boston Neck Road
North Kingstown, RI US 02852
Friday, June 24, 2016
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Service
North Kingstown United Methodist Church
450 Boston Neck Road
North Kingstown, RI US 02852
Saturday, June 25, 2016
8:00 AM
Cemetery
RI Veterans Cemetery
301 South County Trail
Exeter, RI US 02822
Saturday, June 25, 2016