BATH — Alice Mills Stewart, 86, died on June 1, 2013, at Hill House Assisted Living in Bath.

Alice Mills Stewart was born Alice Betty Blair in Brooklyn, NY in 1927, daughter of Irving Blair and May Katz. After graduating from Brooklyn public schools she attended Brooklyn College and received a BA degree in mathematics. Later she earned an MLS degree in Library Science from Post College and an MS in Liberal Arts from Hofstra University. A short time after completing her BA degree she married Selwyn Mills and they had four children, Nancy, Audrey, Laura and David. A few years after David was born Alice and Selwyn divorced and Alice raised the four children as a single mother while working as a librarian for Woodmere Academy, a private school in Woodmere, NY.

In 1973 she met Alan Stewart and they were married in 1975. That same year Alice began working in the Public Library in Jersey City, NJ. Soon after this she was persuaded to move into teaching because of the severe shortage of math teachers. She taught high school math at Lincoln High School in Jersey City and, although she frequently requested a transfer back to the library, she was told that her teaching was too valuable for her to be spared. Finally, after 10 years as a math teacher, she left and took a position as Librarian (later Learning Director) at the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Harlem, NY. She and her husband both retired at the end of the academic year, 1989 (Her husband was also a teacher) and moved to Bath where they resided on Willow Street.

After retiring Alice continued her interest in librarianship. She was the official Recording Secretary of the Governing Committee of the Patten Free Library in Bath for several years and also volunteered at the Maine Maritime Museum where she revised the cataloging system to bring it in line with current practice. She and her husband were active travelers, visiting Europe many times on extended trips in addition to two coast-to-coast roundtrips by train and a half dozen cruises. However, age caught up with them and they hung up their travel bags after a farewell trip to Europe in 2007.

In the spring of 2012 Alice was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and she and her husband moved to the Hill House Assisted Living facility in Bath and they were together there when the end came.

Alice was predeceased by her brother, Lawrence Blair.

She is survived by her husband Alan in Bath, four children, Nancy, wife of Philip Kawesch of Pelham, New York, Audrey, wife of Stephen Knippa of Gearhart, Oregon, Laura,wife of Sim Platek of Princeton, NJ and David Mills, husband of Susan of Rego Park, New York as well as four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. At her wish her remains have been cremated and her ashes are to be scattered. A Celebration of Alice’s life will be arranged at a later date.

Alice was an avid reader, often devouring four or five books a week while knitting sweaters, scarfs and mittens for her husband, children, grandchildren and friends. She was a spirited seeker of learning who lit a spark in everyone she met throughout her life. She will not just be missed, she will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.

Her family would like to express their appreciation to the dedicated staff at Hill House for their warmth and care throughout her last days.