Obituary

On Saturday, February 6, 2021, Salena Alexandra Handley, loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 46. Salena was preceded in death by her mother, Debra. She is survived by her husband Mike, two children, Graham and Lexi, her father Ernie, her brother and several extended family members.

Salena was born on June 6, 1974 in Hialeah, Florida to Debra (Hunt) and Ernest Zapetis III. She was raised deep in the mountains of North Carolina in Cowee and Franklin. She graduated from Franklin High School and attended Western Carolina University and then later East Carolina University. She ran off and married Mike in the back of a feed store in Sevierville, Tennessee on November 27, 1993 and then married him again a month later in the Saint Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church in Franklin, North Carolina on December 27, 1993. She always claimed she deserved two anniversaries and as most things go, she was always right. Mike and Salena moved to Raleigh when he took a job with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. Salena quit school to stay at home and raise their children, Graham and Lexi. Salena worked for the Wake Forest United Methodist Church in the nursery for 12 years. She headed up the Mothers Mornings Out Program and was a member of the Playground Committee for the church.

Salena loved taking care of children, hers and others. Nothing would put a smile on her face faster than holding a baby. She had an incredible loving and selfless personality that always put others before herself without seeking any acknowledgement or recognition for her many acts of loving kindness. She was as brilliant as she was beautiful. She was a firm believer in being honest in her words and her actions. If you ever found yourself in an argument with her, you often found yourself at the mercy of her quick wit and passionate temper. However, after the argument you would also find yourself embraced by a tearful, warm, loving hug. She loved her tall foggy mountains as much as her time on the beach. Whenever a large rolling thunder storm came through you could find her sitting on the porch and listening to the rain. The sound of a heavy rain made her happy. She was a wonderful wife and mother who loved her children and all of her family beyond all measure.

https://memorials.firstcremation.com/salena-handley/4520735/