Obituary of Melinda L. Fletcher

Melinda (Lee) Wallace Fletcher, age 63, of Tampa, FL. Passed away Sunday, August 23, 2015 at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Emily and Gary Childers of Boone, NC. Melinda grew up in Mt. Airy, NC and lived for a short time in Stanley, N.C. before moving to Tampa, FL. In Tampa she worked with Federal Express for several years then went back to school and earned a pharmacy technician degree. Follow the receipt of her degree she was employed by the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa from where she retired as a Pharmacy Technician. She was known and loved for her many wonderful qualities. Some of those were her pervasive and unique sense of humor, quick wit, love of all people, and a deep abiding affection and loving care for animals. She had a very gentle, kind soul and would help anyone she could in any way she could. Her interests were varied with the following toping the list; a special love for working outdoors, listening to good music, and taking care of the elderly in her neighborhood. She was also very active in the Girl Scouts through her high school years and remained a life long supporter of that organization. She was preceded in death by her parents, William H. and Ruby Lee Dellinger Wallace, Sr., and a brother, William H. Wallace, Jr. In addition to her sister and brother-in-law, she is survived by her partner and soul mate of 26 years, Jackie Bass of Tampa, Fl. A niece, Carrie Childers and her son Kai Godwin; and a nephew, Matthew Childers, his wife Kaleen, and their son, Dean of Medfield, Mass. A celebration of life service will be conducted Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 4 p.m. in the Austin & Barnes Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Luke Edwards of Boone United Methodist Church will be officiating the ceremony. Online condolences may be shared with the Fletcher family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to The Humane Society of Tampa Bay at humanesocietytampa.org/ or the Watauga Humane Society at www.wataugahumanesociety.org/. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Fletcher family.