Melissa Ruth Haynes

Melissa was born in Williams Lake B.C. to Jessie and Sterling Haynes, a beautiful rosy-cheeked baby. She grew up in Williams Lake and Kamloops, spending cherished summers at the family cabin at Chimney Lake. Melissa showed an early aptitude for math and science and was described by her father as a “fractions freak”. She also showed an early affinity for art, working at the Kamloops Art Gallery in her teens. She graduated from Kamloops Senior Secondary School at the top of her class. Melissa attended Cariboo College for one year and then moved with her family to Alabama where she attended the University of Alabama and Samford University graduating Summa Cum Laude in Pharmacy. She held hospital and nursing home pharmacy positions in Alabama. Then, having returned to Canada, she worked at Safeway in the Lower Mainland of B.C., and retired from her pharmacy career as Pharmacy Manager at SaveOn Foods in Victoria, B.C. Melissa mentored many young and internationally trained pharmacists and volunteered with the College of Pharmacists of B.C. evaluating foreign-trained practitioners.

Melissa was passionate in all areas of her life; her relationships, her work, gardening, pottery, her love of reading, music, and all things arts, but her great love was to be on a bicycle. She met the love of her life, Steve Mahovlic, on the Bicycle Trek for Life and Breath in 2002. She passed him going down a hill and he spent the rest of the day trying to catch up with her. He eventually did and the rest, as they say, is history. Melissa rode across Canada in 2003 and had many cycling adventures with Steve to New Zealand (2006 and 2010), and Italy in 2016. A B.C. Randonneurs member from 2010 to 2024 Melissa volunteered for at least 19 events, and completed her longest ride of 300 km in 16 hours 27 minutes. She was a gracious host for Warm Showers, hosting and making connections with touring cyclists from around the world.

Melissa enjoyed trips with her sisters, including a sissies kayaking excursion in the Sea of Cortez in 2015. On a cycling tour of Cuba in 1999 her sister, Elizabeth, was her Spanish translator and answered questions such as, “Is she married?”, and “How did she get such beautiful eyes?”.

The name Melissa is from a Greek word for Honey, which she loved (especially if it came in a hand-thrown and glazed pottery container). She was a funny, conscientious, loyal, supportive, loving person with a shy and modest personality. She really wouldn’t want anyone going on about how amazing she was, but she truly was a beautiful person.

Melissa was predeceased by her father, William Sterling Haynes. She is survived by her husband, Steve Mahovlic, her mother, Jessie Haynes, sisters Elizabeth, Jocelyn (Steve), and Leslie (Kostya), niece and nephew Rachel and Carson, step-children Stephanie and Mike, numerous extended family members and friends, and faithful, loyal companion, and best boy, Merlin.

Thank you to Dr. T. Cohen, Dr. L. Gordon, Dr. T. Pham for your kindness and excellent care, and to the nurses and doctors of 8 South at Royal Jubilee Hospital.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring when the flowers are blooming. In lieu of flowers Melissa requested donations be made to Ovarian Cancer Canada.

http://action.ovariancanada.org/goto/melissahaynes

Godspeed Sissy Long Legs, rest well now.