Melanie Terranova Heath, age 76, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025, in Fairhope, Alabama.

Melanie was born on September 14, 1948, in Mobile, Alabama, to John Patrick and Lillian Harris Terranova. She grew up in Mobile and graduated from Murphy High School in 1966. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1971, where she was also a member of Phi Mu Sorority.

Following graduation, Melanie dedicated 16 years to serving children and families as a speech pathologist and special education teacher in New Orleans. In 1985, she met the love of her life, Russell Heath, and they were married in 1986. Together they shared 39 wonderful years of marriage, filled with adventure, devotion, and family.

A career move brought them to Manhattan, Kansas, where they lived for 25 years and welcomed their daughter, Jessica. While there, Melanie worked with the Parents as Teachers Program from 1992 to 2011 as a Parent Educator. Her devotion to helping families gave countless parents the tools and encouragement they needed to raise their children with confidence and love. She touched many lives through her work, always extending compassion and support to others.

Melanie was a woman of many passions. She loved to travel, having explored Europe, Asia, and North America, sometimes with her mother in her younger years. She had a keen eye for beauty—whether in flowers, birds, art, jewelry, or home decorating—and she especially enjoyed gardening, garage sales, and thrift shopping. She was an artist who loved drawing and painting.  Known for her generous spirit, Melanie was quick to give to others, often in the most tangible of ways. She once gifted her parents a car in her 30s, and if someone admired her jewelry, she would gladly take it off and hand it to them. She always noticed and uplifted those who might otherwise be overlooked, offering kindness and friendship to all. She truly never met a stranger.

Melanie deeply loved animals, especially dogs, and many beloved pets were part of her life through the years. She also loved music, particularly old hymns and the classics of the 1960s and 70s. Above all, she was a woman of faith who loved the Lord, and she sought to live out her faith through generosity, kindness, and service to others. This faith gave her a strength and positivity that she possessed until the day she died. 

In 2012, after retiring, she moved to Fairhope to lovingly care for her aging parents. Above all else, Melanie delighted in her roles as wife, mother, and grandmother. Her greatest joy came from time spent with her husband, daughter, and grandchildren.

Melanie is preceded in death by her parents, John Patrick and Lillian Harris Terranova. She is survived by her devoted husband, Russell; her daughter, Jessica Geist (Justin) of Knoxville, Tennessee; and her cherished grandchildren, Madeline, Asher, Jonah, and Charlotte. She is also survived by her brothers, Terry Terranova (Lola) of Mobile, Gary Terranova (Norma) of Montgomery, Texas, and Barry Terranova (Judy) of Daphne; her sisters-in-law, Laura Terranova of Fairhope and Pattie Heath of Boerne, Texas, and many loving nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service will be held in September to honor Melanie’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at https://give.michaeljfox.org/give/421686/#!/donation/checkout

Melanie will be remembered for her generosity, creativity, adventurous spirit, and unwavering love of family. Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched and in the hearts of her family, who will miss her dearly.

Hughes Funeral Home 26209 Pollard Road, Daphne, AL, is assisting the family.