On a beautiful day in June where the sky briefly cried genuine tears right as she left us, Melody finally allowed herself to feel true joy and returned to her home in Heaven on Friday, June 21st, 2024. After a brief stay in the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Melody passed away from unknown causes and complications that doctors could only assume were related to her Kidney failure that she had been trying so valiantly to fight for several years now.
Melody lived in Layton, UT with her daughter Madisen, her son-in-law Colby and the two greatest delights of her life, her grandbabies Hayes and Dahson, who lovingly referred to her as Mimi. Aside from simply to be closer to her best friend who also happened to be her daughter, Melody moved up to the Davis County area in 2015 to pursue her passion once again and to find the opportunity to continue teaching music in some capacity after a several year hiatus from teaching. She found that opportunity in Elementary Music Education and loved it dearly, for Melody truly had a way with children that most could never dream of achieving.
Prior to her relocation to Davis County, Melody lived in Ephraim, UT the majority of her life where she attended Manti High School, class of 1987. While in High School she received constant notable awards and recognitions such as Music Sterling Scholar. Melody went on to attend The University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Snow College where she graduated Cum Laude and was named the college’s Outstanding Overall Musician in 1989. She then continued on to Utah State University where she received her Bachelors of Music degree in 1992, where she also graduated Cum Laude with a composite degree in Music Education and Flute performance. While at USU she was initiated into the Golden Key National Honor Society and won the USU Outstanding Service Award, the Orchestra Musicianship Award, the Symphonic Band Directors Award and was a finalist in the Concerto Competition and was chosen by the Music Department Faculty to represent the department in the annual Utah State Scholars Day in 1992. Melody then went on to be a massively successful and wildly passionate music teacher, where her influence reached hundreds of students from 1992 to 2003 at several different schools throughout Utah.
While she was certain to have received continuously credible awards and notoriety throughout the years to come, certainly what Melody’s greatest self-appointed accomplishment she ever had, came to her in 1994 and 1997, when her two children Madisen and Britton were born. One could spend hours continuing to spotlight all of the true and amazing achievements Melody had in her life, but anyone who knew Melody knew that she considered them all to shy in comparison to her sense of pride and fulfillment that she had in her children. Melody was a devoted, fun, accepting, authentic Mother and her children and many of those who knew her, could attest to the fact that her highest praise in her life should have come from that of what she did for her kids.
Melody was true and utter jubilation encased in humor and silliness that most could never truly begin to understand or appreciate. She had an equanimity that allowed her to see life through a scope that so many could so greatly benefit from. Beyond her musical talent that seemed to have touched so many, her strongest and most powerful impression will have been one of sheer happiness. Happiness that at times she could only provide for others, and not for herself. But Melody found a way to be gratified with allowing our happiness to be her own. Melody will live on through smiles and side splitting belly aches born from laughter that comes in moments of being completely unaware of just how else you could possibly manage to make it through this life otherwise. As a family, that is just how we plan on making it without her. Be like Melody. Love like Melody. Laugh like Melody. She would have wanted you to.
Melody is survived by her daughter Madisen (Colby) Ellison, Grandson’s Hayes and Dahson, Son Britton (Tessa) Whitaker, her incredible Mother who was her constant and unwavering strength Kathleen Hansen, Brother Dustin (Jodi) Hansen and so so many countless other family and friends that loved her dearly. She is preceded in death by her Father Dennis Timmerman Hansen, her Sister Cadee Hansen Hiatt, Her dear friend Ben Mayfield, her Aunt Marilyn John and many other loved ones who are having a much awaited embrace with her now.
To quote Melody’s son Britton.
“Love yourself like Melody loved everyone else and don’t be afraid to be your silliest.”
Her viewing will be held on Tuesday, June 25th at 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Russon Mortuary, 1585 West 300 South Syracuse, UT. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 26th at 2:00 pm with a pre funeral viewing beginning at 12:30, also at Russon Mortuary.
A HUGE celebration of life fit for her directly following the funeral at Madisen’s in-laws home in Clinton, 2216 West 800 North Clinton, UT 84015, we genuinely hope you attend, because the party was truly the only part of this she really wanted. Graveside services will be held Thursday, June 27th at 11:00 am at the Ephraim City Cemetery. Afterwards, Kathleen Hansen’s Ephraim 2nd ward will be hosting a luncheon where all are welcome to join.
An online live stream of the funeral will be available on Russon Mortuary’s website.
“In lieu of flowers, please considering donating to the family to offset expenses. Please feel free to Venmo Madisen at @madisen-ellison”
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