Melisa Whitehead

Melisa Diane Whitehead was born to Ronald Wayne Whitehead and Terri Lynn Riordan in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Feb. 12, 1976. She passed away in Tyler, Texas on May 21, 2023.

Melisa loved her family and friends dearly. She lived for her loved ones and went out of her way to ensure everybody else's happiness. Her son, Tristan Lannom, the children of the family and her dog, Theo, were her whole world. Melisa suffered from kidney failure as the result of a birth complication and subsequently battled with dialysis for 26 years. While this drained her both physically and mentally, she always persevered and thrived for her family, despite the hardships. Among the many other wonderful things, she was strong, resilient, kind, and selfless, always putting the needs of others above her own. She did this with grace and always with a smile that brightened everyone's day. Her beloved nieces and nephews, or as she liked to call them, her "grandbabies," were always her #1 priority.

Melisa is preceded in death by her mother, Terri Lynn Riordan and by her father, Ronald Wayne Whitehead.

Melisa is survived by her son, Tristan Lannom of Jacksonville, Texas; her sister, Rhonda Abuhatab and husband, Tony Abuhatab of Tool, Texas; sister, Leslie Mullins and husband, James Mullins of Mabank, Texas; sister, Amberia Tinney and husband, Billy Tinney of Malakoff, Texas. Melisa also leaves behind her nieces and nephews Nadia Lewis, Ahmed Abuhatab, Abed Abuhatab, Hana Vance, Ethan Mullins, Breandan Tinney, Avorie Shinault, Bree Tinney, Grayson Shinault, Brantley Mullins, Molly Mullins, Owen Tinney, and Haizley Tinney, as well as her nieces and nephews in law, Austin Lewis, Shelbi Taylor, Jayden Vance, and Madison Abuhatab and five great nieces, Mihalyn Lewis, Aurora Lewis, Adriah Abuhatab, Novon Abuhatab and Eleanor Vance.

Visitation will be 1:30 Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at Huckabee-Tomlinson Funeral Home, Malakoff, TX. Service will follow at 3:00 PM.