Melissa B. Dillingham

Missy was born on March 11, 1974, in Asheville, North Carolina, and was the cherished daughter of Debra Radford Brooks and the late Edwin Norman Brooks. A proud graduate of AC Reynolds High School in 1992, Missy was an exceptional athlete. She dominated the courts and fields, playing varsity basketball, on the State 4A Championship team in 1990, and receiving All-Conference Honors in basketball, softball and track. Her competitive spirit shown in all she embraced, from her athletic endeavors to coaching her children’s youth teams and even in family games at the dining room table.

After high school, Missy continued her education at The University of North Carolina at Wilmington and later Western Carolina University, where she graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Medical Care. She was a proud member of the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority where she made lifelong friends. During her time in college, she took up the game of golf and was able to make the Women’s Golf Team and earn an athletic scholarship which nurtured a lifelong love for the sport.

Driven by her passion and ambition, Missy embarked on a successful sales career with ATCO Chemical and later Atlantic Packaging, covering territories in Western North Carolina. She transitioned into pharmaceutical sales, working for Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim before finding remarkable success alongside her husband Ross in real estate brokerage and house flipping business in North Carolina and Texas. Her career change provided much-desired family time after the birth of her children.

Missy found love early in life with her high school sweetheart, Ross. They celebrated their union on November 23, 2000, and together, they raised two children, Luke and Libby which she adored. They were her pride and joy, and she delighted in witnessing and supporting all their many activities and sports.

Beyond her career, Missy loved her time at the beach, golfing with her son and friends, fishing, traveling, and cherishing the moments spent with her family. She was a member of Neon Life Church in Weatherford, Texas. Missy embraced life’s adventures with gratitude, generosity, and unforgettable smile.

Missy is survived by her husband, Ross Dillingham, their children, Luke and Libby of Brock, TX, her mother, Debra Radford Brooks, and sister Taylor Sampson, of Waynesville, NC as well many cherished family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Edwin Norman Brooks.