Melody Roberts

Mary Oliver’s poem, “Summer Day” asks, “Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?”

Melody Roberts has died at last and too soon, after fully living out her one wild and precious life.

When she was young, she climbed trees, smoked cigars by the river, ate penny candy downtown, went to the Clinton Movie Theater, and held hands with a boy on the left and a boy on the right.

She laughed till her sides ached, protected her twin sister, “played in traffic” with her brothers, played clarinet in the band, and made and kept some of the most loyal and steadfast friends the world has ever known.

She fell in love with and married her high school sweetheart because he was cute and she liked the way his cleats sounded on the sidewalk when he’d walk toward the locker room after a football game.

She rocked her babies and grandbabies. She sang a million lullabies, but not the normal ones. She sang the ones about the fish and the frog and the itty bitty pool.

She gave the best back scratches.

She soothed and nurtured endlessly … or maybe just until the person being soothed regained enough strength and courage to suck it up.

She read voraciously and knew everything about everything.

She hated the F word, cowardice and disorganization.

She traveled the world, rode a camel through the desert, smoked hookah with the locals, made friends with Egyptian children who called, “Melody! Melody!”, as her boat cruised down the Nile.

She showed up. For everything. For everyone she loved. In the good, the bad, the ugly. She showed up, and she never ever stopped showing up for the people she loved.

She danced in public. Grocery stores, department stores, everywhere her butt found a beat.

She almost always won at cards.

She made the best cookies in the universe. The best chicken corn chowder, the best bread … the best everything.

She created a legacy of knowledge and curiosity, of recipes she passed along but will never taste as good as it did when she made it, of loving fiercely, and speaking exactly what was on her mind.

Melody was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Jean Grinnell; brothers Lynn, Mick and Terry Grinnell; and sister, Madelyn Welch. She is survived by her brothers, Jeff (Karen) Grinnell and David (Denise) Grinnell. She leaves behind the love of her life, Al Roberts, whom she married on April 21, 1972, at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Saline, Mich. She also leaves her four favorite children, Jim (Melissa) Roberts of Clinton, Mike Roberts of Euless, Texas, Ken (Lisa) Roberts of Clinton and Emily (Jeff) Donehoo of Broomfield, Colo. She is also survived by her grandchildren Ryan Roberts, Brandon Roberts, Aidan Irelan, Roman Roberts, Mattison Roberts, MacKenzie Roberts, Daniel Donehoo, Nolan Donehoo and Kevin Donehoo whom she loved bigger than the whole wide world.

Memorial contributions in honor of Melody may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I-92 Ministries, or the Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer. A memorial service was held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, from noon to 1 p.m., and visitation took place from 1-4 p.m. at the Tecumseh Chapel of Handler Funeral homes, followed by a Mel-e-Bration/Open House at Melody’s home.

Arrangements are under the care of the Tecumseh Chapel of Handler Funeral Homes. Online condolences may be made to the family at handlerfuneralhomes.com.