Melissa Ann Chambers

Melissa Chambers, known to those who loved her as Missy or Mez, died on April 11, 2025. A fierce advocate for those she loved and for what she believed, she is survived and missed dearly by her 17-year-old son, Mason, and her devoted husband of nearly 20 years, Matt. Also missing Melissa are her mother, Sherry Feek, and her brother, Brad (Cami) Feek; she is reunited in death with father John Feek. Countless aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends mourn her loss. She will be remembered every time someone bakes cinnamon rolls or bread sticks, two of her signature baked goods.

Born May 14, 1972, in Tacoma, Melissa approached life with passion. She dove headfirst into everything she did, as many of her friends and family can attest. Before a sewing day with her aunt Cynthia, she proclaimed that she would absolutely not be buying a sewing machine, then immediately bought a sewing machine. She loved a variety of crafts and delighted in making gifts for friends and family, from zippered pouches to heat-transfer decorated shirts. A favorite: her vinyl transfer shirt that read, “Live, Laugh, Lexapro.” Her wardrobe was colorful and included a collection of Fluevog shoes that her fellow GenXers envied. She often dyed her hair purple, her favorite color, to have a coordinated outfit from head to toe.

Perhaps the greatest of her loves were Matt, who she married in 2005, and their son, Mason, born in 2008. Melissa would affectionately sign cards on their behalf as “M3.” A later but equally important addition to the tight-knit unit: Max, their goldendoodle and failed service dog.

Melissa graduated from Timberline High School in 1990, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Martin's University. Teaching wasn't for her at the time, and she found a career at the Washington State Patrol, where she retired after working for 25 years. Melissa found her way back to working with children as a paraeducator in the Head Start classroom at Meadows Elementary School in 2023.

Among her many passions, Melissa was an outspoken advocate for children with life-threatening food allergies. Mason was diagnosed with multiple food allergies that made the Chambers family very aware of just how prevalent sunflower oil is in processed foods, among other things. Committed to creating community and supporting others, Melissa got involved with No Nuts Mom Group and helped start a local Facebook support group, NNMG Food Allergic Families of Washington State.

If you would like to donate to a cause Melissa supported, we suggest the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.