Melissa Maudsley

Our loving Heavenly Father has wrapped His arms around our amazing Melissa and has welcomed her home.

She was born January 29, 1973 on a cold, foggy morning in Salt Lake City, Utah and passed away in Seattle, Washington on February 28, 2017.

Born to Terry and Jerolee Maudsley, Melissa was the first of their four favorite children. She was a precocious child and quickly developed her intellect, memory, and fiercely independent nature. At the age of 2, after her mom would pick her up, she would say "Get rid of me now!" As a young adult, she was able to read any situation quickly and was brilliant at knowing what someone needed to talk about. Melissa was a sensitive and caring woman.

After graduating from Skyline High School in 1991, she attended Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where she earned her Associate's Degree. She then moved to Highpoint, North Carolina, where she would receive her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from Highpoint University. During her time at Highpoint, Melissa spent a semester abroad at Oxford University in England. She then made her home in Seattle and attended Mars Hill Graduate School for her Master's Degree in Psychological Counseling. She fondly referred to her new city as "C@L," and loved the warm and accepting cultural diversity of her adopted city.

After completing her Master's degree, Melissa was employed by Fairfax Hospital to work on the front line for incoming psychiatric patients. She then worked for Premera BlueCross, where she fought for the right of patients to be covered for mental health care. She was currently employed at Eating Recovery Center of Washington as a liaison between patients and their insurance companies. She was famous for her "Friday Factoid" emailed weekly to her fellow employees. Melissa also was a Counselor for private patients.

An artist at heart, Melissa was a painter, a writer, a knitter, and a driftwood carver. She loved children, beaches, the ocean, and funeral potatoes. She was a voracious reader, pouring through as many books as she could get her hands on.

Melissa is survived by her parents, sister Amanda, brothers Carter (Willow) and Corbin (Gillian), six nieces and nephews  – Taneesha, Aleece, Isabelle, Jace (a seventh, Lily, on the way), Skyler, and Eva. She is also survived by Caroline and Dan Wartman, and their children Anna and Jonathan, as well as all of her many friends that made up her much loved Seattle family. She was preceded in death by her grandparents – John "Papa John" and Berniece "Nana" Pickett, and Bill "Grandpa" and Pat "Grandma" Maudsley.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Friday, March 10, 2017, in Salt Lake City at Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, from 1:00-2:30PM.