Melissa Louise Elliott

Melissa Louise Elliott came into this world on February 17, 1971, and the world has never been the same. Melissa grew up in the Grand Junction area and attended local grammar and middle schools. She graduated from Central High School in 1990 and married Brian Elliott in 1994—who passed in 2002.

From talking with school staff members who knew her, along with chats with her best friends Linda, Jennifer, and Kelly, the high school years were her happiest…until the birth of her two sons, Jacob and Jordan. They were her everything, both being loved unconditionally…until the birth of her grandson, Cooper. There she lit up with joy beyond belief. No matter how bad she was feeling, when Jacob and Sarah brought Cooper over, she had no pain—nothing but smiles, joy, and love.

Melissa started getting sick from a common and typical abdominal surgery gone wrong when she was 25, and that plagued her for the rest of her life with everything getting compounded over time. Multiple visits to local doctors proved fruitless, as they were evidently absent in med school when the philosophy of “Do No Harm” was discussed, but they defiantly aced the class entitled “Do No More.” Her mother, Davida, was her strongest advocate, and plans were being made to get Melissa to the Mayo Clinic as the local medical society could and would not be of assistance.

On Saturday, April 5, Melissa suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital. From there she was flown to Salt Lake City for advanced treatment. To St. Mary’s credit, the trauma doctors recognized that her situation was far worse than they could handle, so she was flown to Salt Lake City for advanced treatment. On Tuesday morning, April 9, she had a stroke, which she could not survive due to her advanced negative health condition. The good Lord knew of her situation and wanted to end her suffering, so He called her home and told her that she had her own private campsite and could paddleboard all she wanted on the cool waters of Lake Paradise.

She was an organ donor, and we pray that in her death others may be helped.

She is survived by her parents, Davida and Paul Lachance; her sons, Jacob (and Sara) and Jordan (and Sabrina); her sister, Chantel; two brothers, Sean (and Victoria) and John David; and her beloved dog, Jorgee.

The family wishes to thank both Hope West and Palliative Care for their assistance toward the end…they were very professional, caring, and provided a modicum of hope.

Her two sons are managing final arrangements, including cremation to follow a family and friends remembrance at Callahan Funeral Home on Monday, April 21, 2025.