The family, students, colleagues and friends of Melanie Hensleigh-Parsons gathered in the Garland High School auditorium Saturday, Nov. 14 to celebrate her life. She was born March 28, 1963 and passed away Oct. 30, 2015 at the age of 52.
Melanie began her teaching career in 1988 at Garland High School where she taught several subjects through the years and served as the student activities director.
I had the privilege of interviewing her for several articles and each time was struck by her selflessness, her courage and her faith. She would contact me to request that I write stories about subjects including the pink out events at GHS or latest mission trip of her church, New World United Methodist. She enthusiastically described the work other people were doing but failed to mention that she was right in the middle of it. She wanted the other participants to be recognized, but desired no recognition for herself.
She asked me to write a story about the AVID students secretly painting a close, convenient parking space for her during a time when she was receiving treatment and had a tough time carrying her supplies from the parking lot to her classroom. She loved that they had painted a pink ribbon in the space to represent her breast cancer fight.
Her intention, as always, was not to bring attention to herself. It was to make sure that her GHS students and colleagues received recognition. She eloquently described her feelings for them.
She told me that “the people there [GHS] are like a second family.”
She also said, “I consider it an honor to teach my students and coworkers about our culture and how we serve our campus and community with heart and pride because we are the Owls.”
She added, “Wonderful things happen at GHS as we all know.”
Before and during her battle with breast cancer, Melanie, along with family, colleagues and friends, tirelessly worked to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She also helped bring the March of Dimes fundraising campaign to Garland ISD, further proving that her first thoughts were always of others.
My visits with Melanie occurred both while she was receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments and at times when she was temporarily clear of cancer, and her outlook remained the same. Her determination and deep faith didn’t waiver and her courage never faded. Her six-year battle with breast cancer was fought with grace and dignity.
Her legacy of faith and love will continue in the lives of her family, colleagues, students and friends and she will forever be a source of inspiration for me.
She is survived by her husband, Brian Parsons; daughter, Carole Jane Hensleigh; stepson, Samuel Parsons; stepdaughter, Emily Parsons; mother, Sherry Murray; stepfather, Bill Murray; and father, Billy Rae Mason; sister, Mary Schnitz and brother-in-law Tim Schnitz along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.