Melanie Woody Winter died 19 December 2023 after an almost nine-year fight with Stage IV colon cancer. Melanie, born in Cleveland, Ohio, 2 January 1943, was the daughter of Ray Alonzo Woody and Mary Horne Woody, and grew up in Dayton and Bellbrook, Ohio. Melanie graduated from Murray State University, Murray, Ky with a degree in Art. She taught Art in Bellbrook, Ohio and Baton Rouge, LA and was a substitute teacher in the Huntsville school system.
Melanie arrived in Huntsville with her husband when he was assigned as a new second Lieutenant to Redstone Arsenal in September 1968, and promptly fell in love with the area. Melanie was an enthusiastic amateur radio operator, with the call sign N4HIX, having attained the prestigious Amateur Extra Class License requiring both significant technical proficiency and demonstrating a morse code speed of 20 words per minute.
She was also an accomplished duplicate bridge enthusiast, having become a Life Master with the American Contract Bridge League.
Melanie was a member of the American Radio Relay League, the Huntsville Amateur Radio Club, the Huntsville Young Ladies Amateur Radio Club, the North Alabama DX Club, the Southeastern DX Club, and the Huntsville Duplicate Bridge Club.
Melanie is survived by her college sweetheart and husband of fifty-seven and a half years, John C. “Johnny” Winter, Jr.; daughters, Jennifer Winter Clark (Bobby) and Honorine Winter Daniels (Bill); grandsons, John Daniels and Michael Daniels; granddaughters, Rebecca Clark and Jessica Clark; and brothers, William Ray Woody, of Beavercreek, Ohio and John Randolph Woody of Dayton, Ohio.
Visitation will be at Laughlin Service Funeral Home, 2320 Bob Wallace Ave SW, Huntsville, AL 35805 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 23. A service is not anticipated.
The family wishes to express thanks to Dr. John Waples, Physician Assistants Jillien Kinsel and Ann Hatfield and the staff of the Clearview Cancer Institute for their wonderful care for so many years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Russell Hill Cancer Foundation.
