WATERVILLE – Melanie Anne (Greenleaf) Edwards, 73, passed away unexpectedly at her home on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, her sister beside her. Born in Waterville on March 25, 1948, she was the youngest of the four children of Geraldine D. (Condee} Greenleaf and Jesse T. Greenleaf of Oakland, would graduate from High School there in 1966, and go on to working her way through the University of Maine, Orono. When partly through, she would meet Bradford W. Edwards of Greenville at her brother’s wedding, and they would marry and have two fine sons, Daemon W. Edwards, and Adam T. Edwards, both serving their Country and working for their higher educations.

In Greenville, Melanie and Brad raised their family, including their part-wolf dog, Zelda; made maple syrup; participated in skiing and other outdoor recreation, Brad was involved in the white-water rafting business, summers, when he wasn’t teaching. Melanie volunteered for community affairs; worked outside her home at times; helped a carpenter build their home from an outbuilding of what had originally been the Blair Hill self-sustaining manor off Lily Bay Road, high on the eastern side of Moosehead Lake, belonging then to her in-laws, while also caring for her two young sons. She and Brad lived in various Maine places other than Greenville and the Bangor area, Winterport, Milbridge, Vinalhaven, this later being a particular happiness for Melanie.

When her sons were nearly grown, Melanie’s marriage ended. Therefore, in her mid-to-later 30s, she moved to Bangor to go to Beal College and, by doing classes full-time and working full-time, she earned both an Associate Degree and the training to become a Medical Assistant. In fact, Melanie helped Beal begin a school/work program, from her own needs at that time. And when working at an emergency walk-in clinic while in school, she met a girlfriend Mary and a doctor they both admired, such that they would help him start his practice in New Hampshire, remain with him for several years and learn much from him.

However, just prior to finishing college, Melanie met her significant other, Lawrence A. Davis, originally from Athens/Dexter, and they would actually have a daughter, Alexi E. Edwards-Davis (now Alexi Draconis, with husband Peter, in Waterville). A generation later, Melanie and Larry would help Alexi and her first husband, Robert Kaczorowski, to raise their daughter, Melanie’s and Larry’s granddaughter, Joclynn Amber. But when their daughter was a young child, Melanie and Larry would move to Massachusetts where her older sister lived and where Melanie would work long years in another doctor’s practice until he went elsewhere in Massachusetts. Melanie chose then for employment at Walmart pharmacy down there until Alexi graduated high school and she would retire from working. At this point, Melanie and Larry wanted to return to Maine, and they relocated in Waterville. At the time of her death, Melanie and Larry had been partners for 37 years.

Melanie is survived by her sister Shannon M. G. Pyne, Augusta; sisters-in-law Carla. A. (Traves) Greenleaf of Oakland and Linda J. (At wood) Greenleaf of Farmington; cousins Sheila B. (York) Lewis and Linda (Wing) Kinney, both of TN; and Leslie Luther of MO; also, other family in ME, GA, TX. She was predeceased by her parents; her two older brothers, Gaylon D. Greenleaf and Reigh M. Greenleaf, Oakland and Farmington; her maternal aunt Bertha York(and uncle Earl); and the other Luther half-siblings of her mother, aunt Lorena Simons/ Stevens/Scranton; uncle Lloyd and aunt Angie; aunt Loretta Wing and uncle Cliff; her paternal aunt Violet (Greenleaf) Vieta/Norton/Watson, her father’s half-Sister; and any other children of the former, not mentioned, but if known of, not forgotten. Also, would be her maternal and paternal grandmothers, Goldie M. (Bubier)Luther/Condee and Ella F. (Brown) Greenleaf, both last of Oakland.

Melanie was an able homemaker who so loved her children, a wise lady with quiet and gentle ways who always strove for excellence. She loved to read and to design the lovely quilts she endlessly made for others. Giving all she could to her family, when she left us, she had borne her full measure of enough for herself. She wanted no funeral. Instead, her ashes will be simply shared by her family members who will honor and celebrate her as they wish. A portion of her cremains will join her parents’ burial plot in the Oakland Lakeview Cemetery on Snow Pond, where some of her siblings’ remains will also join their parents, or be nearby, marked by separate stones.

Arrangements are in the care of the Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church St. Oakland, where condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.



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