Melissa Ann Davis

Melissa Ann Davis was a beautiful soul with a warm and magnetic energy about her! She cared deeply for humans and animals alike and always saw the good in others - even when they did not see it themselves. She was an incredibly talented artist who explored many different mediums throughout her life such as painting, tile work, landscaping, and music.

Melissa was born March 13th, 1990, in Fort Knox, Kentucky. She was preceded in death by her father, Captain Michael M.M. Davis, paternal grandfather, Colonel Michael M. Davis, paternal grandmother, Leialoha Davis, maternal grandfather, Major General William P. Winkler Jr., maternal grandmother, Diana Winkler, and step-grandfather, Terry Seymour. She is survived by her mother, Anna Davis, sister Stephanie (Justin) Clarke, stepmother, Mary Anne Castles (Curtis Knetsch), stepsister and stepbrother, Rylee and Caden Holder, step-grandmothers Lisa Davis and Mary Lou Seymour, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

She loved traveling and would fully immerse herself in the local surroundings to try and learn about new cultures and different ways of life. Melissa obtained a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of North Texas, where she studied abroad in South Africa. Throughout her lifetime she would continue to visit as many new places as she could, and it was not unusual to get a phone call home about a spur of the moment adventure she had just finished up or stories about new people she had met along the way. Her family loved to live vicariously through her free-spirited nature and vivacious journeys!

Her college years also helped nurture her love of nature and the Earth as a whole. Sustainability was extremely important to her, and she eventually went on to gain a joint Master of Science degree in International Sustainable Tourism from the University of North Texas in partnership with CATIE (The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Soon after, Melissa traveled to the Philippines to support an organization that created fully sustainable homes and would eventually continue to work with them in the States.

We can’t talk about Melissa without mentioning her love of animals! This was evident even as a small child where she would hug the family dog shouting, “Doggy, doggy, doggy, doggy!” and let out huge laughs as he leisurely pranced around the house happy to be her entertainment. She took immense pride in being dog mom to Dudley who was her constant companion for the past six years - he wanted for nothing! They lived in the mountains together for many years and loved taking long hikes and camping trips together. Being in nature was their happy place. They were truly a dynamic duo!

Her life tragically came to an end on September 29th, 2023, in Austin, Texas. She will continue to be a ray of light remembered fondly by family and friends. A private memorial will be held in the future. In lieu of flowers, the family invites the reader to consider donating to Austin Pets Alive! in memory of Melissa.

“Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.”

-Emily Dickinson