Rosanne Melnick

Rosanne Melnick was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina to the late Elizabeth Louise Moss. Rosanne spent her final years in Edgemere, Maryland, where she passed on May 05, 2023. Ms. Melnick graduated from Blacksburg High School, class of 1959, and continued her education at Troy State University where she obtained a Masters’ Degree in Counseling and Human Development. Ms. Melnick then devoted her career to teaching children and helping them grow at Headstart for 7 years. This success did not come easy, as Rosanne lived a life of devastation and struggle as a child.

Rosanne loved telling stories about her past, no matter the nature, to keep her memories alive and honor the events that led her to where she was. These stories will be cherished by her family and friends who will keep them alive despite her departure. Rosanne lived with her mother in a shack where the snow crept in through the cracks in the floorboards. Despite living in poverty, they remained close and did what they needed to survive. While her mother walked miles to work at the mill, Rosanne stayed home and focused on surviving and making the most out of the very little they had. From not having shoes to protect her feet from glass to torching her eyebrows while trying to stay warm by making a fire with kerosene at the age of 4, she knew struggle and she knew how to overcome it. After a childhood of running wild through fields, suffering from starvation, and being subjected to abuse, she determined her own destiny and chose to grow from her difficult experiences rather than succumb to them. In her adolescent years, she lived with family who saved her from poverty and starvation. She then learned to cook, clean, iron, and wash with military grace. These skills combined with the determination and survival skills she previously learned enabled her to become a leader in the Air Force as an Airman E2 until she became pregnant and discharged on November 18, 1963. She then raised her four children alone, and even following a fall where she broke her leg in 16 places that she never fully recovered from, she raised her kids with strength and dedication regardless of her constant pain.

Ms. Melnick taught her children the importance of intelligence and building knowledge to ensure they could make their own way in the world and would never be without. She taught them to see beyond the surface, pay attention to their surroundings, and when to “keep their mouths shut and observe”. These lessons enabled her children to be strong, successful and amazing, well rounded people.

With long, beautiful, thick, black hair and sky blue eyes, Ms. Melnick was just as stunning as she was determined, intelligent, and observant. As Rosanne never knew her father, she used the pain of abandonment as fuel to further her knowledge on history and genealogy. Trying to fill the void, she tracked her bloodline all the way back to the Mayflower and indulged in the adventurous stories she uncovered. Rosanne did not only use this motivation to fulfill curiosity, but also to make a difference in her work and the lives she touched. She used her degree to be an advocate for starving children she taught them and kept them close, providing endless love and nurturement. She not only helped these children survive, but provided pictures of them and their family to give them memories of their history they could hold with them for the rest of their lives. Later on, Rosanne became an ombudsman and visited nursing homes where she watched out for the residents to ensure they were treated properly with care and respect. Ms. Melnick had no tolerance for suffering and went above and beyond to make sure no one felt the pain she once felt.

Ms. Melnick is preceded in death by her daughter, Cynthia Rachunok, and her son, David Rachunok.

Ms. Melnick is survived by her two daughters, Deborah Melnick and Constance Rachunok, 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Ms. Melnick was a force and will be deeply missed by the people she touched. While her presence will always be missed, those who love her will carry on the knowledge and strength she passed to them over her life time.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.shcolumbus.com for the Melnick family.