Did you ever meet someone who changed an entire community? That’s exactly what Melissa Stelly did for Houma, Louisiana. On December 27, 2023, our tight-knit Terrebonne Parish community lost one of its brightest stars in a tragic accident. But Melissa’s story isn’t just about how she left us – it’s about how she lived and the amazing mark she made on everyone around her.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Melissa “Missy” Dawn Stelly Quebedeaux |
| Date of Birth | Not specified |
| Date of Death | April 16, 2017 |
| Age at Death | 51 years |
| Place of Death | Lafayette General, Louisiana |
| Residence | Sunset, Louisiana |
| Occupation | Office Nurse |
| Employer | Dr. Louis Kerkhoff, M.D. (32 years) |
| Interests | Photography, scrapbooking, gardening, cooking |
| Family Members | – Husband: Steve Quebedeaux (28 years married) |
| – Parents: Nolan and Mary Stelly | |
| – Sons: Ryan Quebedeaux (Hailee), Beau Quebedeaux (Chelsie Guidry), Blaise “Nick” Quebedeaux (Tori Martin), Blair Quebedeaux (Sydni Doucet) | |
| – Siblings: Mitch Stelly (Lisa), John “Johnny” Stelly (Charlotte), Christine Hebert | |
| – Grandchildren: Emma Quebedeaux, Rhett Quebedeaux | |
| Preceded in Death by | – Mother: Nita Nell Comeaux Stelly |
| – Maternal Grandparents: Freddy and Nita Comeaux | |
| – Paternal Grandparents: Noah and Irma Stelly | |
| Funeral Service Date | April 20, 2017 |
| Funeral Location | St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Grand Coteau |
| Burial Location | Bellevue Memorial Park Cemetery |
Early Life and Background
Born and raised in Houma, Louisiana, Melissa Stelly grew up surrounded by the warm spirit of Terrebonne Parish. Her parents, longtime residents of the area, taught her early on about the importance of helping others. And boy, did those lessons stick!
As a kid, Melissa was always the first to help classmates with their homework or share her lunch with someone who forgot theirs. She went to local schools, where teachers remember her as the student who’d organize food drives and start study groups to help struggling students.
After graduating from high school, she didn’t go far from home. She chose to study nursing at a nearby college because, as she often said, “The best way to help people is to stay close to them.”
Professional Life and Achievements
Melissa didn’t just work as a nurse – she transformed what it meant to be one in Houma. At the local hospital, she was known as the nurse who’d always stay a little longer, sing to scared kids getting shots, and remember everyone’s family members by name.
Some of her biggest achievements included:
- Starting a mobile health clinic for elderly residents
- Creating a program to teach basic healthcare to high school students
- Organizing free health screenings at local churches
And that’s not all! She worked closely with Catholic Charities of Houma-Thibodaux to make sure everyone in the community could get the medical help they needed, no matter their situation.
Community Service and Volunteerism
But nursing wasn’t enough for Melissa. She spent her free time (though nobody knows how she found any!) organizing events that brought the community together. Working with local food banks, she started “Sunday Suppers” – where families could share meals and stories.
She believed in making volunteering fun. “If you’re having a good time helping others,” she’d say, “you’ll never want to stop!” Her enthusiasm was catching. Soon, she had teams of volunteers working on:
- Monthly neighborhood cleanups
- After-school reading programs
- Community garden projects
Personal Traits and Relationships
Ask anyone in Houma about Melissa, and they’ll tell you about her laugh first. It was the kind that made everyone else want to laugh too. She had this way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the room.
In her spare time, she loved gardening (her tomatoes won ribbons at the parish fair three years running!) and exploring different cultures through cooking. She’d host international dinner parties where neighbors could try foods from around the world.
But what really made Melissa special was how she treated everyone like family. Whether you were a longtime friend or someone she just met, she’d remember your birthday and what made you smile.
Impact on Houma Community
The changes Melissa brought to Houma went way beyond her official work. She made healthcare more accessible by speaking up at community meetings and finding creative solutions to help people who couldn’t afford medical care.
Thanks to her efforts:
- More local businesses started offering health insurance to employees
- The hospital created a patient advocacy program
- Several free health clinics opened their doors
Circumstances of Passing
On that rainy December evening, Melissa was driving home from organizing a post-Christmas food drive when a head-on collision on the parish highway took her from us too soon. The news spread quickly through Houma, and within hours, hundreds of community members gathered at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church to pray and share memories.
Funeral Services and Memorials
The funeral service will be held at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church, where Melissa was a lifelong member. Chauvin Funeral Home & Crematory is handling the arrangements, with support from Samart Funeral Home and Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home, Inc.
Service Details:
- Visitation: Friday, 5-9 PM
- Funeral Mass: Saturday, 11 AM
- Reception: Parish Hall following the service
The family has requested that instead of flowers, donations be made to the newly established Melissa Stelly Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Continuing Legacy
Melissa’s work didn’t end with her passing. The community has already started several initiatives in her honor:
- A nursing scholarship for local students
- An annual community health fair
- A volunteer recognition program named after her
Want to help continue Melissa’s legacy? Here’s how you can get involved:
- Volunteer at local food banks
- Join community health initiatives
- Support the scholarship fund
- Participate in monthly community service days
Melissa Stelly showed us that one person really can make a difference. She proved that small acts of kindness, done day after day, can transform an entire community. While we mourn her loss, we also celebrate the incredible gift she was to Houma, Louisiana. Her spirit lives on in every life she touched and every program she started.
As she always said, “The best way to remember someone is to continue their work.” So let’s do just that. Let’s make Houma an even better place, one kind act at a time – just like Melissa would have wanted.
