With profound love and hope in the promise of eternal life, the family of Melinda Ione Roznowski announces her passing on February 11, 2026, at the age of 66, after a long and courageous battle with Frontotemporal Dementia, with her husband, Steve by her side.Melinda was born on January 25, 1960, in Lansing, Michigan, to Max and Betty Strother. From an early age she possessed a gentle heart, deep empathy, and a natural instinct to care for others - qualities that would guide the course of her life and vocation. She graduated from Everett High School and went on to attend Olivet College before earning her Master's Degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University. She dedicated her professional life to social work and counseling, serving in a wide variety of settings and touching countless lives.
Her great love story began in the eighth grade, when a boy named Steve Roznowski sat behind her in class and played with her hair. From that moment on, their bond was unavoidable. Their relationship grew over the years around a common love of music, and they spent many years playing in local bands and churches - Melinda singing with passion and joy, and Steve accompanying on guitar. They were married on October 2, 1982, and shared 43 years of marriage filled with faith, devotion to their children and perseverance.
Melinda's proudest role was being a mother to her five children. She sacrificed herself to become a mother, with difficult pregnancies due to her Type-1 diabetes, and she later pushed Steve to take a leap of faith and adopt their two youngest from Guatemala. She gave up her social work career and committed herself to her family, home-schooling the children, filling the house with music, encouraging creativity through art, crafts and nature, and teaching kindness by example. Later, she delighted in becoming "Grandma" to Ivy, Octavia, and Solanus. Her faith shaped every part of her life. A devout Christian, Melinda faithfully served at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lansing and, following her conversion to Catholicism, at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Lansing and Saint Mary's in Williamston.
She offered her musical talents, compassionate presence, and listening ear wherever she went. She believed deeply in radiating God's love to others - especially those struggling with addiction, trauma, or despair. Proud of her own sobriety and recovery journey, she became a source of comfort and understanding for many who felt alone. Even during her illness, Melinda's hope in Heaven gave her courage. She often reminded those around her: "Breathe and do the next right thing." Her faith and strength turned suffering into witness and fear into trust. Melinda found joy in God's creation - in animals, gardens, and the changing seasons. She loved cooking meals that gathered family together, creating art with her hands, and simply sitting outdoors in peaceful reflection.
In a piece of writing from her childhood, she wrote: "Life is like all the single seasons of the year, combined. And each season brings a new part of life."
She embraced every season - youth, motherhood, recovery, service, and even illness - with grace. She was preceded in death by her father, Max Strother, and her grandchild, Francis Roznowski. She is survived by her beloved husband Steve; her children Joshua, Keenan (Cilicia), Mara, Naidalyn, and Manuel; her grandchildren Ivy, Octavia, and Solanus; her mother Betty Strother; and her brother Mike (Lisa) Strother, along with many friends, parish communities, and individuals whose lives she forever changed through compassion and faith. Melinda's life was a testament to love in action - steady, sacrificial, creative, and deeply rooted in God. Her legacy lives on in the people she comforted, the family she nurtured, the songs she sang, and the faith she carried through every season of life.
Though she will be profoundly missed, her family finds peace knowing she has reached the joy she long trusted awaited her - whole, restored, and home. Services Visitations will be on Thursday, February 19th from 2:00–4:00 pm and 6:00–8:00 pm, with Rosary at 7:30 pm at St Martha's Catholic Church in Okemos. Funeral Mass will be on Friday, February 20th at 11:00 am, with visitation one hour prior to Mass at St Martha's Catholic Church in Okemos. Luncheon to follow at University Club of MSU, 3435 Forest Rd. Lansing, MI 48910.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Mother Teresa House at MotherTeresaHouse.org.