Melanie Lee Spycher

Melanie Lee Spycher was born on June 20, 1943, in Columbus, Ohio. Melanie was married to Robert (Bob) Ernest Spycher, who passed away in 1996, and leaves behind a daughter, Cherish Garrett.

Melanie was a creative soul who loved to perform but applied most of her talents to designing her home or painting a canvas here and there…her daughter has many of Melanie’s masterpieces hanging throughout her house, her favorite being a beautiful depiction of her cat, Sencha.

But after graduating high school, Melanie didn’t have the option to pursue the stage or her artistic endeavors. She was told she could get married, work in a local department store, or go to nursing school. So, it was off to nursing school she went. She took advantage of every opportunity to get kicked out of school, sneaking out and breaking the rules, but somehow, she still managed to graduate.

Through the years, Melanie worked in many different areas of the hospital and appreciated the opportunities to move to new units and learn new things. After working in cardiac (with her favorite group of nurses), she was asked to be a part of a new step-down cardiac unit. She was honored that her opinion as an experienced nurse was a valued part of the development of this unit, and she truly felt this was the first time her knowledge and opinion were heard and appreciated. However, her proudest moment as a nurse was the time she snuck in a beloved dog into the unit, a wish of a dying man. This proud moment exemplifies Melanie’s heart, empathy, love of animals… and passion for breaking the rules.

Melanie met the love of her life when her adventurous spirit took her to South Florida after graduating from nursing school. She met Bob on a night out with friends and knew that very first night that she could fall in love with the kind man sitting across from her. They married just 3 months later and were happily married for almost 30 years. They had their daughter, Cherish, in Atlanta, Georgia but settled in Northern Virginia when Cherish was just 5 years old. Bob and Melanie took every advantage that this area offered… Cherish was raised going to the mountains, the beach, and into DC. They spent their Fourth of Julys on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, listening to the Beach Boys. And every Christmas they bundled up to visit the National Christmas tree, drink hot chocolate, and walk around the state trees.

But, in 1995, Bob was diagnosed with ALS and passed away 6 months after diagnosis. She and Bob never fulfilled their dreams of retiring in Destin, Florida and attending Bob’s alma mater, Florida State University, football games. The time she and Cherish spent together as a family those last few months, brought a new level of closeness.

Melanie wanted to go back ‘home’ to Florida, so Cherish joined her. They spent most of their Florida life in the Tampa area but eventually settled in the quaint town of Mount Dora. The two spent most of their lives in Florida living close to one another, enjoying their time in art classes, attending local events, art shows, and spending time by the water.

Melanie passed away peacefully on September 19th, 2021, at the age of 77 in Mount Dora. She will join her husband, Bob, in Arlington Cemetery on December 20th at 1pm.