Melissa Marquis

Melissa was born in New London, CT on April 28, 1978 to Eugene S. Marquis II  and Debra (Boissonault) Marquis.  She was the younger sister to Danielle Marquis Holton.

Melissa grew up in Bristol, CT.  She attended St. Matthew’s Elementary School and was in the Color Guard at Bristol Eastern High School.

Melissa went to several different colleges and universities to broaden her education.  She worked as a CNA at Hartford Hospital on her last year of high school and upon high school graduation she attended Capital Community College to get her Associates degree in nursing. Melissa began nursing at Hartford Hospital but continued her education graduating from Phoenix University with her BA in Nursing.  Melissa continued on in her nursing career working with Cystic Fibrosis patients.  She enjoyed working with this community of patients always saying “There but for the grace of God go I” because these patients were her age and dealing with the end stages of their disease.

After a couple of years, Melissa decided to go back to school to get her Master Degree in Bio Security and Disaster Preparedness becoming the first graduating class of St. Louis University with the new degree. After graduating, Melissa left floor nursing and began to pursue her new career in Public Health with the Bloomfield and Farmington Valley Health district.  Within the last few years she transitioned to the West Hartford and Bloomfield Districts along with the West Hartford Fire Dept. where she remained until her passing.  She truly loved her work and the people she met along the way, referring to them as “friends” rather than colleagues.

Melissa also was working with NACCHO, giving speeches across the country until recently when her health prevented her from flying.  She was also on the board of the Steffens Scleroderma Foundation and the National Scleroderma Foundation.

In her spare time, Melissa loved to travel.  She loved meeting new people and going to new places.  She took up photography some years ago and began taking pictures for family and friends.  Melissa loved flowers, especially sun flowers.  She said there wasn’t a plant she couldn’t kill.

Melissa loved her Lord and Savior, Jesus more than life itself.  Her faith was strong and was most times what kept her grounded and positive thinking especially in these later years when this disease took so very much away.  In those times she would often read the scriptures and try to find the positive ray of hope in that particular situation. She often told me that she didn’t need to look far to find someone worse off than her.

Always the advocate, Melissa tried and put aside many times over the years the desire to write a book to help others dealing with auto immune disease.  She wanted to help the many without a medical degree work out the confusion, depression and frustration that she so many times felt herself.  She always said that she wanted to find a way to help those who were not as fortunate as her to have that degree in understanding what was happening in their body and also how to navigate the medical and insurance fields to get the correct health information that was needed.  She titled the book “Invisable” because that was how she was made to feel. She was pleased and very proud to finally get her ideas in print to help and guide others.

Melissa loved the outdoors and tried to find a way to escape the office confines and get outside as much as she could.  She felt at home among the grass and trees. And she loved the Ocean, getting there as often as she could.  She spent many a Saturday or Sunday kayaking just enjoying the peace of nature and God’s gift of the outdoors.

Melissa leaves behind her mother, Debra Marquis-Cascio, and step father, Greg, her sister Danielle Holton, brother-in-law, Bryan Holton, a niece, Elizabeth Holton, nephew, Gabriel Holton , several aunts, uncles and cousins and all her many friends.

Melissa is also an organ donor who just donated her liver and kidneys to provide a better life for these people.  Even in her death, she is helping others.

We love and will miss you dearly, Melissa.  God’s peace until we meet again

A Celebration of Life honoring Melissa will be held Saturday (Sept. 27) starting with a visitation from 9-10:30am with a Service at 10:30am at Hillside Community Church, 435 Broad St. Bristol CT 06010.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to

National Scleroderma Foundation 300 Rosewood Drive #105, Danvers, MA 01923

or 

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 4550 Montgomery Ave, Suite 1100, N Bethesda, MD 20814.