Mary Katherine "Kitty" Melancon, 78, Marksville
Funeral services for Mary Katherine "Kitty" Melancon will be Monday, April 3, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. in the Marksville Methodist Church with Rev. Billy Tingle officiating. Burial will follow in the Cushman Cemetery under the direction of Melancon Funeral Home, Bunkie.
The family requests that visitation be observed at the Marksville Methodist Church on Monday, April 3, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Mary Katherine Ascher Melancon, age 78, of Marksville, passed away on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at the Avoyelles Hospital. "Kitty" as she was fondly called, was born in San Diego, CA, and lived there through her high school years, where she attended Point Loma High School. After high school, she attended the University of Arizona, in Tuscan, AZ for a couple of years. She moved to Bunkie with her family and then later moved to Marksville.
As a resident of Marksville for nearly forty-seven years, Kitty was actively involved in community and national causes. Beginning with Avoyelles, Kitty served on the Arts and Humanities Council, Les Theatre des Bon Temps and Moncla Community Theater. She held officer positions in all of the above and performed in several productions as well. Kitty had an avid love of all animals, contributing to the ASPCA, the Friends of the Alexandria Zoo and the Humane Society. She was also a strong supporter of St. Jude's Research Hospital and the American Association of Wounded Warriors.
Kitty was most comfortable in the outdoors; forever working in her garden, often sharing in or designing community beatification projects, through the Marksville Garden Club and the Arbor Day Foundation.
There was never a lack of talent with Kitty. In her earlier years, she choreographed and directed. She loved the people, and was passionate about all aspects of theater, able to both paint and sketch , having an eye for design. The people who knew her, knew she was a perfectionist and that everything "Kitty touched" was part of the "Masterplan". Her family would like to think she was part of that planning, up to the very end.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Betty Lee Rogers Ascher Circle and Herman "Bob" Rowley Ascher and her brother-in-law, Dave Britt.
She is survived by her daughter, Robin Luke Arabie and husband, Stanley James Arabie, of Lafayette; her son, Benjamin "Ben" Ascher Luke and wife, Celeste C. Luke, MD, of Marksville; her two sisters, Judy Ascher Parry and husband, Tom, of Ocean Beach, CA and Nancy Ascher Britt of Lakeside, CA and her seven grandchildren, Benjamin Ascher Luke, Jr., Hynson James Luke, Anna Katherine Luke, Anthony Jennings Roy, IV, Grace Katherine Roy, Ashtyn Blaire Arabie Mouret and Karlyn Elizabeth Arabie.
Memorials in Kitty's memory may be donated to the Arbor Day Foundation - https://www.arborday.org or ASPCA - https://secure.aspca.org.