On Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, Melissa Leeann Nix Dorius, beloved wife, daughter, sister, friend, and dog mom passed from this life at the age of 39. Melissa was born July 8, 1982, in El Paso, Texas, to Ernie and Lisa Nix. She graduated from Tooele High School in 2000, and married Nathan Tyler Dorius on Sept. 10, 2011. Melissa was a patient advocate and trainer at Myriad Genetics in Salt Lake City for 12 years.
Melissa was sensitive, empathetic, giving, and compassionate. Her work at Myriad allowed her to help thousands of people and she drew a great deal of satisfaction from that. She had an incredible sense of humor and kept everyone who knew her howling with laughter whenever she was around. She loved to make beautiful things and yummy treats and give them away. She had boundless love for her husband, her families, her dogs, Barbie, makeup, the color pink, and glitter.
Melissa was preceded in death by her baby sister Whitney Erin, her grandpa Tolstedt, her grandma and grandpa Nix, and her granny and grandad Nix. She is survived by her loving husband Tyler and their dogs Chloe and Zoe, her parents Ernie and Lisa Nix, her brothers David (Marie) and Joey (Teri), her aunt Ally (Scott) Haw, her grandma Sharon Tolstedt, and aunt Buffy (Greg) Tolstedt, in-laws Richard and Mary Jo Dorius and their family, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A celebration of Melissa’s life will be held Friday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m., at the LDS chapel, 114 S. 400 West in Orem, Utah. Dedication of grave at East Lawn Memorial in Provo, Utah, following the memorial service. In remembrance of Melissa’s life, the family asks that charitable donations be made to Best Friends Utah at utah.bestfriends.org/get-involved/donate
Heartfelt thanks from both families to the incredible medical staff in the Shock/Trauma ICU of Intermountain Medical Center for their skill, dedication, and empathy at an extremely difficult time.