Melissa McCormick Martin

June 26, 1966– August 22, 2023

Melissa McCormick Martin passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of August 22, 2023, at her home on the family farm in Barbecue Township, North Carolina. Her long fight with cancer has come to an end, but her example as a strong, determined, and devoted wife, mother, friend, and servant to her community lives on brighter than ever.

Melissa was born on June 26, 1966, in Asheville, North Carolina to Jimmy and Gwen McCormick. Ms. Gwen welcomed her into the world on her own while Jimmy was away serving his country in Vietnam. Jimmy would find out three days later that he was the proud daddy of a healthy, wonderful little girl.

As a member of a military family, Melissa first lived at Fort Polk, Louisiana until the summer of 1967 when they finally settled down back on the McCormick family farm in Barbecue Township in Harnett County, NC. Her life as a young lady growing up on a farm was filled with family, church, cows, hay, and tobacco. Melissa's affinity for cows would never go away as she would keep cow art on her walls inside the house and feed donuts to the real cows outside. Her parents both worked in the Harnett County school system and provided the example that would spark her own career as an esteemed and highly respected educator later in life.

Melissa began elementary school at Johnsonville Elementary and went on to middle school at Benhaven. She attended Western Harnett High School where she graduated with honors in 1984. A fitting note about her high school career is that she served as the North Carolina State President of the Future Homemakers of America (FHA). She was a natural at making anyone feel welcome in her home as those of us lucky enough to attend one of her many house parties can attest.  She loved to celebrate anything and anybody, especially Christmas and Birthdays.

She would go on to college at Campbell University from 1984 to 1988 where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She took her degree straight back to her home school of Johnsonville Elementary and began teaching first grade where she would inspire the lives and minds of hundreds of children for over 20 years.

Melissa went back to Campbell University to earn her master's degree in school administration in 2010. She then served as a curriculum and instructional coach for Harnett County Schools until she was named assistant principal at Benhaven Elementary School. She thrived at Benhaven Elementary as a leader and example to the students, parents, teachers, and staff alike. She selflessly served her community as an educator for over 31 years where her love and dedication to her kids would touch generations of families.

As devoted as she was to her students, nothing was more important to Melissa than her family. She doted on Charlie and her boys from the moment her eyes opened each morning. Charlie and Melissa were married on November 27, 1993, at Barbecue Presbyterian Church where their 30-year love affair would begin. They were perfect partners for each other who always found reasons to celebrate life, no matter how small that reason might be. Their two greatest achievements were their boys, Phillip and Patrick. Melissa would stop at nothing to make sure her boys were safe, happy, and successful. She watched each of them graduate from North Carolina State University enroute to becoming fine young men with a world of promise ahead of them. Melissa will always be an incredible and loving mother.

Melissa was a good and faithful servant to God and her church family. She gave much of her time and talent to her home church at Barbecue Presbyterian Church where she served as an Elder, a Deacon, and the piano player whenever needed. She played the piano at Mount Pisgah Presbyterian Church for many years as well. Both of her churches cherished, admired, and loved Melissa as one of their own. She certainly left her mark of Christian love and service in both places. Even during a pandemic, Melissa would record hymns on her piano at home and send them into church for Sunday. There was no quit in her. Those recordings of her playing the piano still grace the halls and sanctuary of Barbecue as their back-up piano player from time to time! They are a perfect reminder of what Christian love looks…and sounds...like.

Melissa is survived by her husband, Charlie Martin; her two sons, Phillip and Patrick Martin; her parents, Jimmy and Gwen McCormick; and her sister, Molly McCormick Howsden. She was preceded in death by her grandparents Charles and Elizabeth Johnson and John and Mary Emily McCormick as well as her mother and father-in-law John and Beverly Martin.

Melissa's family will celebrate her life at Barbecue Presbyterian church on Saturday, August 26th, at 11:00 am with a reception following in the church fellowship hall. The visitation will be the evening prior on Friday, August 25th from 6-8pm at the Smith Funeral Home in Broadway.  In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorial donations be made to the Jimmy V Foundation.  Online condolences can be made at www.smithfuneralhomebroadway.com  Arrangements are by the Smith Funeral Home of Broadway.