Former Norwalk, New Canaan teacher dies of cancer at 46
NORWALK — Resident and former public school teacher Melanie Lea Fieffe, 46, died of cancer on Jan. 12.
Fieffe “is and forever will be a gentle yet strong beacon of light who was a fighter for her kids — her family and herself,” Dana Mattson, of Norwalk, wrote on the Collins Funeral Home website. She is survived by her husband, Dale, and her children Andrew, 16, Cameron, 14, and Matthew.
Fieffe was born in Augusta, Maine, graduated from Messalonskee High School in Oakland, Maine, and received her undergraduate degree in biology from Roger Williams University, where she played basketball. Much of her family still live in Maine.
After earning a master’s degree in science education at New York University, “she worked in several positions in the Norwalk Public School system,” and as a middle school science teacher at St. Luke’s, according to her obituary.
She was not an active teacher at St. Luke’s at the time of her death, school officials said, and would not comment further.
“Melanie loved all her students deeply,” her obituary reads.
Prior to teaching, Fieffe worked in the pharmaceutical industry for several years, initially with Eli Lilly and then Merck Pharmaceuticals.
“Melanie was a beloved, cherished member of her community. She spent many years involved in her children’s school helping to organize events,” and sat on committees which addressed special education, the obituary read.
She also used her own experience as a basketball player to coach her son’s basketball teams in local leagues.
The family received friends at Collins Funeral Home on Tuesday and a Celebration of Life event will be held in Maine on Aug. 27.