Melanie Sue Briggs

Melanie Sue Briggs, age 67, of Tuscarawas, passed away on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, surrounded by love, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.

She dedicated her life to caring for others, spending most of her career as a compassionate and hardworking nurse. Her fierce independence, sharp mind, and resilient spirit defined her life. She lived boldly, spoke her truth, and navigated the world on her own terms.

Melanie is survived by her partner and soulmate, Thomas Demattio, her children, Danielle (Chris) Miller and Brandon (Elijah) Hupp, her mother, Marjorie West; sister, Marla (Brett) Griffith and her niece and nephew, Nikki (Corey) Myers and Benjamin (Darien) Aponik. She is preceded in death by her father, George Howard Briggs.

She will be remembered for her strength, her quick wit, her fierce devotion, and her refusal to be anyone other than exactly who she was. 

In honor of Melanie’s wishes, a celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date, where friends and family will be invited to gather in remembrance.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a nursing scholarship established in her honor: The Melanie Briggs Scholarship for Future Nurses, which supports Kent State Tuscarawas nursing students. https://flashes.info/melbriggs

Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, the family she loved, and the strength she passed on to those who now carry her memory forward.