Melissa Nicole DeGarmo of Nederland Texas passed away on Friday, July 19 at the age of 40 years old. She left us like she lived, surrounded by love with her family by her side. Melissa is survived by her husband, Michael DeGarmo, her children, Skylar Degarmo, 22, and Serena DeGarmo, 16, her loving parents, Mike and Kathy Haynes and her beloved brother Josh Haynes. Also her in-laws who loved her like their own: her mother-in-law Mary Adams DeGarmo, sister-in-law Jessica DeGarmo Jones, and brothers-in-law Dustin Jones and Adam Washburn. She is also survived by her adoring niblings, Shadley, Ellie, Abbie, and Izzie. There are so many words that could be used to describe what made Melissa so special, but there simply isn’t enough room for them all. The difficulty in writing this is not searching for positive things to say about how Melissa impacted the world around her, but it is in having to choose which to talk about to best honor her memory. I could tell you about how kind and generous she was, how intelligent and funny and hardworking. Selfless and humble to a fault. That she was the most amazing daughter and sister. I could tell you she was one of the most unique and interesting people you will ever meet. That she was stunningly beautiful and an incredibly talented artist who was an integral part of the local art community. But even these words aren’t enough, and pages could be written about her character. The most important thing to know is that Melissa loved freely and abundantly. Whether you were an acquaintance, coworker, customer, or even if you’ve had one single conversation with her, whoever you are, she carried you in her heart. She loved her parents and her brother deeply. She loved her friends unconditionally and was the resin that held them together. But there was nothing she loved more than her family and the beautiful life they had together. Melissa and Michael shared the deepest, realest love. He never left her side and was able to show his devotion to her by taking the best care of her. He treated her the way she deserved to be treated and set an example for their kids of what love and marriage should be. And what incredible kids they are. Melissa was so very proud of Skylar and Serena and the intelligent, thoughtful, interesting people they have turned out to be. She supported them wholly in every endeavor and never missed any event. Not only did she love her children as their mother, she genuinely enjoyed their company. She wanted nothing more than to be there for them throughout their lives and to see all the incredible things they will do. Like their mom, they will continue to make the world better just by being in it. This idea gets thrown around a lot when someone leaves too soon, but I think anyone who has ever met Melissa will agree that the world did become a little less colorful on Friday. If you were ever fortunate enough to have her smile directed at you or to make her laugh, you know exactly what I mean. There will never be a more beautiful smile or a freer laugh. When you think of Melissa, don’t cry. Rejoice that we were blessed with her presence in our lives. Let us spread her energy to honor her memory always: be kind, give love without judgement, embrace and revel in life, but most importantly, be wholly and unabashedly yourself. Hold your loved ones close today and cherish every moment of life you have been gifted. This is how we will remember her. True to her nature to the end, Melissa’s wish was to bring everyone together for a celebration of life in lieu of a traditional service. Details will be shared at a later date.