Melissa Rae Hallson
June 17, 1985 – December 6, 2021
It is with such heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beautiful Melissa on December 6th, 2021 after a short but fierce battle with cancer, surrounded by her loving family.
Melissa (Mel) was born in Dryden June 17th, 1985 to Karen and Terry McDonald, the first and only granddaughter on both sides. She was so smart, bright, sweet and could win over the toughest heart instantly with her lovely disposition. Three years later she welcomed her brother Todd to the fold, fussing over him, and with the typical sibling rivalry, becoming great friends in their adult life. She just loved him so much.
Melissa spent so much time with her dad as he worked shiftwork at the mill, so off they would go on his days off to her Papa’s shop with her playpen having its spot in the Shop. She watched her talented and gifted Papa stencil and paint, so it wasn’t long before she was picking up a pencil then paint brush and at the tender age of 5 years was filling in lettering on the odd sign or race car! With perfection! Her first project was a beautiful wooden Rudolph that she painted for her parents for Christmas, which has since been gifted back to her children.
Because of her dad’s influence she became pretty good at wrenching in his shop on his race car, and later hers. She was never a prissy girl!! In fact when she was in Brandon studying to become a hairstylist she changed her own truck battery in -40 weather with a prairie wind at her back and then called a friend to bring her some gas line anti-freeze…her girlfriend was dumbfounded and asked if she couldn’t find someone to do that for her? Absolutely not! But she also cleaned up really good and just emitted a beautiful exotic kind of glow that captured people’s attention when she just walked into a room!!
As a young girl Mel went to Riverview School, then Sprucedale where upon her grade 8 graduation achieved Sprucedale’s first Principal’s award for Student Leadership, the award for Outstanding Attitude & Effort and was nominated as Valedictorian (of which her mother can’t remember a word she said as she cried throughout the whole ceremony) then went on to graduate from Dryden High School.
Mel went for a brief stint to Sheridan College in Oakville, then the Advanced School of Hairstyling in Brandon where she used her artistic talents towards hair styling. She made many great friends throughout her years of being a stylist @ Niki’s Hair Loft and Callidora and was so missed when she decided to change career paths. Mel went on to work as Receptionist at Northwest Employment Works (NEW) 2 years ago and was so loved by her work family. She also worked for many local businesses in her youth, she was especially fortunate when she worked at Canadian Tire as that was where she met the love of her life, Kyle.
Mel and Kyle had so much fun together with their friends and spent many weekends at Good Lake at Kyle’s families’ camp. He proposed to her before she graduated from hairstyling school, so she didn’t get away on him.
Melissa loved the outdoors and following their marriage in 2009, they bought their own piece of paradise on Ghost Lake Road across the road from her parents, where she grew up. Mel loved hiking, snowshoeing with Kyle and her children, friends and her mom. She blazed many trails and it was always a great workout just trying to keep up with her. She loved the family trips with the Mason’s to Abram Lake every summer where she’d say she’d need a week or two to recover. She loved photography and of course had an eye for the perfect shot. She loved to cook and create all kinds of earthy recipes; she was Mother Earth. She also loved her family’s camp on McDonald Island where she was just 10 days old when she experienced her first boat trip out to see her grandparents. She will have a special place out there beside her gramma and papa.
Mel loved racing and was driving a hot pink stock car #32 when she was 15 years old. She of course was influenced by her dad who also has a passion for racing. Mel was very notorious and was asked to have her autograph from her young fans. Her family was all in every weekend working the pits, entrance gates etc. and have great memories of the wonderful get-togethers that were had at each others’ homes following the races for some great- but never embellished ahem-bench racing (he he) and comradery.
Mel loved to travel and from her youth went with her mom to Nova Scotia & PEI, Detroit with her Papa, the Mayan, Cabo San Lucas, Vegas, Chilliwack and Kelowna, B.C. It was always her passion to go back to these places and others. I guess she will now have her wish.
Mel and Kyle have two wonderful children that were Melissa’s greatest achievement! Kiel is a sweet loving and very nurturing young person and Magda is too along with her spice that she also picked up from her mama. She was always so proud of their achievements and joined Scouts a few years ago with them and became a Scout Leader.
So much more to say…so little time. Mel leaves to grieve her Husband Kyle, son Kiel, daughter Magda, mom and dad Karen & Terry McDonald, brother Todd (Sheila) McDonald and nephew Theoren, granny Grace Hendricken, aunts Bernadette (Carl), cousins Alex (Olivia), baby Lincoln & Nick, Sheila Hendricken (Bill), & cousin Josh, Auntie’s Joanne (Ted) Baillie, Therese Kleim-Heck (Dennis) and Sean (Deanna) Tougas & families, cousins Fran (John), Lynn (Joe), Connie (Bill) & cousins, cousin Bev (Bill) ; mother (in law) Sharon, father (in law) Ken Hallson, sister (in law) Cindy (Todd) Mason, nieces Hunter & Darcie, sister (in law) Tracie (Dave) Rentz, nieces & nephew Katlyn, Adam & Marissa, great aunts Marie Dougan, Theresa Hendricken and great uncle Victor Hendricken, numerous aunt, uncles in law on the Hallson side and numerous cousins. Her special friends ‘The American Boys’!! and so many friends, you know who you are! Mel will be reunited with her grampa Joe (Jules) Tougas, nana Isabelle Simpkins, grandparents Dick and Pat McDonald, Auntie Bunts & Uncle Mitch, numerous aunts and uncles.
Life can be cruel, but it is beautiful! Don’t be sad that she is gone but be happy that you knew her and were part of her happy memories. Remember her and her infectious laugh so that she lives on in all of us, especially her husband and her children.
