Melanie Jean (Barth) Hess

Melanie Jean (Barth) Hess, 44 of Punta Gorda, FL. Went to be with the Lord on April 9, 2022 in the loving arms of her mother. Melanie was born on June 29 in Bethlehem, PA to Melanie (Kralik) Barth Counterman and Edward J. Barth.

Melanie fought a courageous feisty battle with Cystic Fibrosis and received a double lung transplant in 2001 at Duke in NC. She will be lovingly remembered for her beautiful smile and laugh and her ability to make others laugh. Even in difficult times she would come out with something that would crack us up just to lighten the mood. She found great joy in cuddling with her pups, Ebony and Ivory, sitting on the front porch on the swing, going to the gym and various activities at Babcock Ranch.

Throughout her life she worked in medical billing and coding, as a pharmacy technician and most recently as a receptionist at Kirkland Village. Se loved working with the elderly and loved to lift the spirits of the residents and staff.

She is survived by her mother, Step Dad Woodrow Counterman, Step mom Jeanmarie Barth, Half sisters Jami Kelhart (Kevin), Jesse Smith (Christopher), loving aunts and uncles Kathy (Godmother) and David Delo, Uncle Richard and Susan Kralik, Barbara Dancho and Tina Burridge, Judith and Dennis Haldemen and John and Irene Moser. Nephews Cooper and Ethan Kelhart and Gavin and Zoey Smith.

Melanie was preceded in death by her twin brothers Edward Joseph and Bryant Peter Barth, her father Edward J Barth, maternal grandparents Jean and Joseph Kralik, paternal grandparents Raymond and Barbara Barth Sr., Uncle and Godfather Raymond Barth Jr. and Aunt Paulette Bedics.

Services will be held in Pennsylvania at the 1st Baptist Church 3235 Linden St. Bethlehem, PA. on April 22 at 11am. Visitation hour will be 9:30-11 am.

Florida service will be held at the Hodge’s Funeral Home 525 111th Avenue, North Naples, FL on April 28 at 10am. With visitation from 9:30-10am.

Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to Dream Come True PO Box 21167. Lehigh Valley, PA 18002 or Tunnel to Towers at T2T.org