Melissa Molinyawe of Houston, Texas, passed away unexpectedly on September 15, 2026, at the age of 37.

Melissa was born January 19, 1989, in Cleveland, OH and grew up in Kingwood, TX. She graduated from Kingwood High School and went on to earn her degree from the University of Houston. She built her career at Principal Financial Group and made her home in Houston.

She loved to bake. Cheesecakes were her specialty, along with cookies and any dessert she decided the occasion called for, and she rarely showed up anywhere empty-handed. She loved her dogs, Hank and Pistachio, completely and without apology. She could lose a weekend to a good TV series and considered it well spent. She was always up for a good time whether it was a trip for a concert or spontaneously picking up her niece and nephew for a milkshake or donuts.

Melissa was the one who held her family together. She was at every birthday, every holiday, every gathering that mattered, and she quietly handled the hundred small things that made those days work. Most people never noticed the effort. They only noticed that being around her family felt good, and that was her doing.

She is survived by her husband, Nelson Jose Carvajal Rodriguez; her parents, Romeo and Gloria Molinyawe; her brothers, Mark Molinyawe and his wife Ashley Love, and Matthew Molinyawe and his wife Joanne Molinyawe; her nephew, Meyer Molinyawe; and her nieces, Caroline Love and Alexis Molinyawe. She is also survived by her dogs, Hank and Pistachio.

A Mass celebrating Melissa's life will be held Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Martha's Catholic Church, 4301 Woodridge Pkwy, Porter, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks only that you remember Melissa and hold your own people close.