Brenda R. Melendy

Brenda R. Melendy, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at home on May 21, 2025, with family at her side. Born on February 17, 1941, in Jamaica Plain, MA, Brenda grew up on the West Side of Manchester and graduated from West High School before attending NH College. She dedicated much of her professional life to running the Gossler Camps Cottages, a family business that has thrived for 85 years. This role allowed her to share her passion for hospitality and the great outdoors with her family and many guests.

Brenda’s life was marked by love and commitment to her family. She was married to her husband, Dick Melendy, for 36 years after meeting him while dancing at the Music Hall in Concord in 1987. Their marriage served as a prime example for their children of what a strong marriage and devoted parenthood look like. The couple were inseparable best friends who spent every day together, nurturing a bond that inspired all who knew them.

Family was the cornerstone of Brenda’s existence. Together with Dick, she raised four children who were the center of her life and a source of immense pride and joy. She was especially devoted to her grandchildren whom she adored as their loving “Grammy.”

Brenda possessed a vibrant personality; she was outgoing, feisty, kindhearted, and always resilient, especially later in life. She loved to swim, especially in the pond at her cherished home in Warner, which she considered paradise on earth. Water was a significant element in her life, and she found happiness in being active, whether water skiing into her 65th year or swimming 8 months out of the year. Brenda also had a deep love for music, frequently enjoying classic rock & roll, dancing, and sharing her enthusiasm for the Red Sox, her favorite team, alongside Dick.

Her faith was deeply integral to her life, as a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Brenda found strength, comfort, and guidance in her beliefs, even reciting the Lord's Prayer throughout her battle with dementia.

Brenda leaves behind her husband, Dick Melendy; her children Linda Skidmore and her husband Cody, James Hull, Debbie Damboise and her husband Steven, and David Hull with his partner Kristen Carder; grandchildren Maria, Jake, Brooke, Stevie, Bella, and Max; her cousins, extended family, and many friends. She also reunites with her late cousins, Shirley Parsons and Mitzi Keiser.

A funeral service to honor Brenda will be held on Tuesday, May 27, at 10:00 AM at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester, NH, followed by a light luncheon. A graveside service will then take place at Pine Grove Cemetery in Manchester, NH at 12:30 PM.

Donations in Brenda’s memory can be made to the Granite VNA or the Immanuel Lutheran Church.