Melissa Helen White's Obituary
With deep regret, the family and friends of Melissa Helen White announce her passing.A celebration of all things Melissa will be held Wednesday, November 15th, at 2:30 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas.Melissa was born in Santa Monica, California on September 6, 1960, and passed from this world on November 5, 2017. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Wilmette, Illinois, and was a graduate of Southern Illinois University. Shortly after graduation, Missy found her way to Texas, and never looked back, she became a Texan through and through. Her career in advertising spanned nearly three decades, and she enjoyed the fellowship of her co-workers at the Omnicom companies – Tracy-Locke, DDB, and Spot Plus. The friendships she forged during her career proved to be lifelong relationships. Her co-workers became her family, and she valued those relationships for the remainder of her life.Melissa cherished the simple things in life. She had a passion for books, gardening, good music, cooking, traveling, anything related to dogs, and most of all, her friends. Missy was gifted with the ability to make others feel at ease immediately. Melissa was a world traveler. More often than not, she was the self-appointed “Boss”, deciding the entire itinerary, which made traveling much easier and a lot more fun for those along for the ride. She loved speaking French, and no matter how correct or incorrect the conversation might be, she enjoyed the challenge of speaking another language. Melissa was an excellent cook, she delighted in sharing good food and good recipes. Books were a lifelong love, she could lose herself in a good read for hours. Her love of music was shared with many of her friends, oftentimes into the early hours of the morning. Her compassion for dogs was immense, the moment she spied a dog she would immediately drop to her knees to meet her newest friend and welcome the sloppy kisses that were sure to follow. Melissa had a wicked sense of humor, and she was also compassionate, smart as a whip, hardworking and driven. That being said, these wonderful traits were eclipsed by her undying loyalty to her friends, and her enormous capacity to love. We are all better people for having known her.Melissa is predeceased by her parents, Lyman and Chareline White, as well as her beloved grandparents, Philip and Helen White and Charles and Maxine Tozier. She is survived by her lifelong partner, James Lucas, her dogs McGhee and Ellie, her sister Susan, brother Philip, and a large and wonderful extended family in various states. She also leaves behind an enormous host of friends she loved beyond measure.“We’ll be friends forever, won’t we Pooh?” asked Piglet.“Even longer.” Pooh answered.– A.A. Milne, Winnie the PoohIn lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Melissa by making a contribution in her name to DREAM Fund, P.O. Box 600593, Dallas, Tx 75360 or to your local SPCA.
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