Melissa Holstrom
Melissa Holstrom gifted us her last loving smile on May 8, 2021, at age 51. Melissa grew up in Big Sky country, the daughter of Larry and Corryn Sanders, Uncle Pat’s niece, big sister to Jerry and Jessica, sister-in-law to Jordan, Kristi, Kami and Felice, loving aunt to Jeff and Joe and many nieces and nephews who adored her. Melissa met Scott Holstrom in 1993 in Seattle. He knew from the first time he saw her that he had met the woman he was going to spend his life with, and they did exactly that. They were married and moved to Colville, Washington. Melissa graduated Pima Medical Institute and had a long and successful career as an expanded function dental assistant.
She was a talented artist and had a way with animals. Even at an early age they were drawn to her. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to find her bottle feeding or caring for some kind of injured animal. She even raised a bobcat that was lovingly named Libby, who unsurprisingly grew up to be a nasty little bugger that only had affection for Melissa.
One couldn’t help but notice Melissa when she walked into a room. She had an infectious, beaming smile with a soft and pleasant laugh that made you feel at ease. She truly was a beautiful person inside and out. Melissa was a down home county girl at heart with a taste for the finer things in life. She lived for hot summer days. The hotter the better, she loved the lake life! — sitting on a beach with her BFF Sandy, facing the sun with toes dug into the sand and listening to music with a cold Bud-light in her hand. As she would say, her happy place. She valued her friendships more than anything else in life and believed that what you said behind someone else’s back said more about your moral character than that of theirs. She was intelligent and quiet spoken with the gift of always saying the right thing at the right moment. Without hesitation she would drop whatever she was doing to answer the call and comfort a friend in need. She truly loved life, seeing the beauty in everything. She was able to see and appreciate all the little details in life, the ones that most of us miss or take for granted.
She was also the strongest person I have ever known. She fought stage four cancer with courage, dignity and grace to the very last breath of her remarkable life. This came as no surprise to anyone who knew and loved her, it’s who she was; a truly remarkable woman loved by all. We will miss her dazzling smile, beautiful brown eyes, wonderful laughter, and loving generous heart. Rest in peace sweet Melissa! You took my heart with you when you left and that’s OK, I gave it to you long ago.
The family would like to thank all of our friends and the caregivers who helped us during this difficult time: Northwest Pain Care, Hospice of Spokane and our LIUNA family for all their support.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to a charitable organization that fights the ugly disease of cancer.