Melody J. (Hewitt) Kirkby

MARION - Melody J. (Hewitt) Kirkby of Marion passed away Friday, May 16, 2008 at Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids. She was 31 years old.

She was born on April 10, 1977 in Grand Rapids to Dennis and Sandy (Lugtigheid) Hewitt. She married Del D. Kirkby on May 15, 2002 in Grand Haven. She was a 1996 graduate of Cadillac High School. She graduated from Northwestern Michigan College in 2001 and Ferris State University in 2002.

Melody was a loving mother and homemaker. She had recently been elected to serve on the Marion School Board. She attended the Marion United Methodist Church.

She served on the board of both the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency Head Start Policy Council and the Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency Clare and Osceola County Early Head Start Policy Council. She enjoyed volunteering and participating in the activities available to young children in the Marion area.

She is survived by her husband, Del of Marion; two children, Emma and Ryan Kirkby; parents, Dennis (Kathy) Hewitt of Cadillac and Sandy Crosby of Holland; sisters, Erica Jeppesen of Tampa, Fla., Tammy Crisman of Cadillac; stepsiblings, Angie and Ken Reid of Cadillac; father and mother-in-law, Edward and Barbara Kirkby of Marion; sister-in-law, Codee Kirkby of East Lansing; grandparents, Lloyd and Aleeta Hewitt of Cadillac; a nephew and niece, ¨ Caiden and Brach Jeppesen and nephew, Cole Crisman.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the Marion United Methodist Church, with Pastor Jim Mort officiating. Visitation will take place on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Fosnaught-Holdship Funeral Home in Marion. Burial will take place in the Greenwood Cemetery, Marion.

Memorial contributions in Melody’s name may be made to a charitable organization of the giver’s choice.