Melissa Catherine Beck-Boratyn

After nearly a decade of battling breast cancer, Melissa Catherine Beck-Boratyn passed away on June 21, 2020, surrounded by family. Melissa is survived by her husband Jimmy Boratyn, mother Catherine Beck, sister Shannon (Dan) Warnicki, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, family members, and friends.

Melissa was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 23 and became a relentless advocate for the breast cancer community. She accomplished many things in her brief 32 years of life, including earning a Bachelor’s Degree in International Film & Media Production from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinema Directing from DePaul University. An accomplished filmmaker, Melissa co-owned Shot Time Productions, a multimedia production company she ran with her husband. She collaborated on several feature films before directing, writing, and editing Ginger, gingerthemovie.com, a film based on Melissa’s cancer diagnosis. Ginger was created to support all people impacted by breast cancer, providing a message of hope and highlighting all of the pain, suffering, humor, and love that comes along with this disease. The film won numerous awards and continues raising money to support various organizations dedicated to fighting cancer.

Melissa had a fire inside her and a determination to help bridge access to lifesaving treatments and clinical trials. Amidst her own challenges with cancer, she always strived to help others. Melissa was an active member of many breast cancer organizations, including The Breasties and Stupid Cancer, where she made many memories and lifelong friends. In February 2019, she walked the runway for AnaOno in New York Fashion Week to bring awareness to metastatic breast cancer, helping raise $100,000 for research.

During the last four years, Melissa balanced her metastatic diagnosis with living a truly extraordinary life—making incredible art and enjoying wonderful times with her family and friends. Melissa lived life to the fullest, believing that “There is nothing more valuable than the ability to find gratitude in the beautiful things in life. And while illness might make life harder, it does not limit or invalidate the meaning of each and every waking day.” Melissa was and is what every person aspires to be—loving, kind, hopeful, strong, and incredibly fierce. She will live on forever, not only through her film legacy and her work within the breast cancer community, but in the hearts and minds of everyone who was blessed to know and love her.

Funeral services private. Donations to support the family are appreciated via this GoFundMe page, gf.me/u/x872q6. A portion of funds raised will support the operations of the Melissa & Jimmy Boratyn Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering those impacted by breast cancer through the art of cinema.