Melissa Anne Nasr

Melissa Anne Pauley Nasr, age 66, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. She was born on August 31, 1956, in Charleston, West Virginia, to Walter and Cynthia Pauley, the second of four children. When she was 3 years old, the family moved to Houston, Texas. Melissa began studying piano at age 4 when her parents realized that she was quite a prodigy and had already begun to play on the neighbor’s piano. She won every competition she entered, wracking up quite an array of trophies and medals. In addition to her prodigious piano talent, Melissa possessed an equally beautiful singing voice. This led her to be in the first-ever graduating class of Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she sang in the Madrigal Choir. She went on to study classical piano at Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina. She continued studying piano at Steven F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Realizing that she preferred a life of singing to one of playing classical piano, Melissa left the classical music world behind and began what would be a very long, illustrious career of performing live. She began singing and playing in Greenville, South Carolina, at several fine restaurants and hotels. Years later, she moved back to Houston, Texas, to continue singing there. Melissa met Yasser in 1983 at the Westin Oaks Hotel when she was singing in the Savoy Room where Yasser also worked. It was love at first sight. Melissa fell in love with Yasser’s famous caesar salad, and of course, later, with him. They became inseparable and married in July 1988. They promptly moved to Lake Conroe in Montgomery, Texas, where they worked together in the Walden Yacht Club. She played and sang there for close to 30 years, making innumerable friends and mesmerizing everyone with her impressive vocal talent. She and Yasser were known and loved at the club for their outgoing personalities, kindness, and warmth. Melissa also played and sang at countless private parties, weddings, and special occasion events. Melissa and Yasser have three sons, Zachary, Farris, and Alexander, of whom Melissa was enormously proud. She told anyone who would listen how special each of them was and relished their unique God-given talents. Her love and compassion spilled over to all she met. She took people into her heart and home and helped them in any way she could. She gave selflessly, never expecting anything in return. Melissa is survived by her husband, Yasser, and her three boys, Zachary, Farris, and Alexander; her siblings Sarah Pauley Kelly and her husband, Ronnie, and Martha Pauley Troutman and her husband, Gary, as well as her sister-in-law Sharon. She was preceded in death by her brother Randall Owen Pauley. She will always be remembered for her beautiful soul, her beautiful voice, and her legacy of love for others. You may leave written memorials for Melissa at www.shmfh.com

Melissa Anne Nasr

August 31, 1956 - March 21, 2023