Melanie Rodriguez

Ellicott City, Maryland - Melanie Williams Rodriguez, age 44, passed away Saturday, April 14, 2018 at home after a 13 year battle with cancer.

A native of Clyde, North Carolina, she was the daughter of Joe and Gail Williams. She was preceded in death by her sister, Anna Bess Williams of Clyde, NC; paternal grandparents, Robert and Emily Williams of Clyde, and her maternal grandfather, Alan Dane Roberson of Farmerville, LA and her best friend, Melanie Scroggs Fore.

In 1996, Melanie moved from Clyde, NC to start a new journey with the US Airways as a flight attendant. This exciting position led her to Pittsburgh, PA and then to Baltimore, MD. Eventually in 2000, Melanie switched gears and began a lifelong career in personnel security, conducting and adjudicating background investigations for the military and its defense partners. She became a federal employee in December 2001 until January 2018. Melanie was a GS13 Senior Adjudicator and Branch Technical Lead with the Department of Defense serving 15 years with the Defense Office Hearings and Appeals, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and finally DOD Central Adjudication Facility. She loved her country and was a proud civil servant. However, Melanie would hands down say her most important job was to be a mother. She loved her son and fought daily to remain here with him to raise him. She loved him more than anything on earth. They did everything together and shared many invaluable travel experiences. Melanie loved to see different states and prided her list in having been to 44 states. She took cooking up as a hobby and was always trying new recipes. In living away from NC for 20 years, Melanie and her parents still managed to see each other about every three months. They made family a priority over distance. Melanie loved culture and even had a "multicultural" Christmas tree with ornaments from various countries and walks of life. She attended Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, MD, a church priding itself on multicultural worship. She loved her home church Clyde Central United Methodist in Clyde, NC, which supported her through her illness.

Melanie would want people to know what a hard road breast cancer was and that young people do get it, and more research needs to go into metastatic breast cancer, the land of the forgotten women.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband of 17 years, Al Rodriguez; a son, Dezi Robert Rodriguez, age 14; a sister, Lee Farrington of Maine; Maternal Grandmother, Rowena Roberson of Farmerville, LA; In-laws, Ali and Anna Rodriguez of Tampa, FL. As well as many cherished aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family in North Carolina, Louisiana, Arizona and Florida.

Melanie wanted to remain on earth to be with her son, but she would be thrilled to be reunited with her sister, Anna Williams and best friend, Melanie Scroggs Fore.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Clyde Central United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 1:30 until 3:00 p.m. prior to the Service at the church.

Memorials May be made to, Clyde Central United Methodist Church, 410 Charles Street, Clyde NC 28721.

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