Melissa Ann Stokes
March 27, 1977 – August 25, 2018

Melissa Stokes, 41, of Bryan, passed away on Saturday, August 25, 2018, in Houston. A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 pm, on Thursday, August 30, 2018, in the Pecan/Sage Visitation Suites of Callaway-Jones Funeral Center, 3001 South College Ave, Bryan. A Memorial Service honoring the life of Melissa will be 10 am, Friday, August 31, 2018, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 1001 Woodcreek Drive, College Station. Cremation services are in the care of Callaway-Jones Funeral and Cremation Centers, Bryan-College Station.

Melissa was born to Jerry Lauter and Karen Gaskamp on March 27, 1977. A graduate of Brenham High School Class of 1995, Melissa completed her Associates Degree from Blinn College and began her undergraduate studies at Sam Houston State University. She was a force of nature that could fill a room with her energy the minute she walked into it. She could pick up your spirits with her bright smile and the sparkle in her big, beautiful blue-green eyes. Rarely at a loss for words, you always knew what she was thinking and appreciated her for that. Melissa was one of the most organized and accomplished people that we ever knew. She didn’t just plan; she executed her plans with precision. If you were part of her plan and couldn’t keep up, she picked up your part, too. She might have grumbled a little to herself about your pace – especially those of us who are consistently last minute finishers – but she loved you for being on “her team”. She could work circles around us mere mortals. She packed more into her few years than many of us will in a lifetime.

Melissa taught Sunday school where her church family was her family. She taught their preschool class and many preschoolers after that. She loved those children like they were her own. She had a gentle way with all of them and they loved her. It was so important to her to make sure that they learned about Jesus’ love at a very early age.

Most of all, she loved her family. She adored her husband and her daughter was her world. She made sure that her daughter had the chance to experience everything she wanted. When something didn’t “stick”, she would introduce her daughter to something else. She not only encouraged her daughter’s full participation, she too fully committed to volunteering long hours to support multiple extra curricular activities. She was so proud of her daughter who has now accomplished so much in her 12 years. She loved her sweet girl with all of her heart.

And her husband Matt; he was her perfect match. She “voluntold” him a lot but he always complied with his sweet half-cocked smile. When she was moving 90 mph, only he seemed to be able to slow her down when she needed it. No matter what, when I saw them together they always seemed to share a look of what I could only describe as true, unconditional love. He was her rock, and she his.

Mother-in-law, Virginia Stokes; grandmothers, Dorothy Gaskamp, and Charolette Gaskamp; all precede Melissa in death.

Melissa leaves behind to continue her legacy, her husband, Matt Stokes; her precious daughter, Riley; her father, Jerry; her mother, Karen; her sister Amanda Lauter, and close friend Blake Hickerson; her niece, Madyson Meier; her aunt, Theresa Gaskamp Orts; her grandfather, Peanut Gaskamp, and her father and mother-in-law, Harold and Pat Stokes; her cousins and other relatives.

Honoring Melissa as Honorary Pallbearers are Jason Swain, Burge Linton, Doug Noll, Justin Putz, Scott Gresham, Chad Montgomery, and Joe Alderete.

In Lieu of Flowers Memorials can be made to Crohn’s Colitis Foundation

http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-is-crohns-disease/ or to PSC Partners http://pscpartners.org/donate/

Express condolences at CallawayJones.com