Melissa Garffer, age 59, beloved 2nd grade teacher, daughter, sister and friend passed away July 28th, 2023 in her home after an almost year long battle with cancer.

Melissa was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 28, 1964 to Raymond Garffer Abarca and Sue Oates Garffer. She had strong Texas roots and had a great love for both of her homes. She is survived by her mother Sue Oates Garffer, her brothers Gregory Garffer of Pflugerville, TX and Felix Garffer with wife Lisa of Köningswinter, Germany, and many beloved cousins, aunts and uncles. She was predeceased by her father Raymond Garffer Abarca.

Melissa attended Bucknell University where she earned a Bachelor in English Literature. Melissa also received a Masters in Education from the University of Texas.

Melissa was a passionate educator who taught in NBISD for 30 years. Her experience included teaching 2nd grade, 4th grade, gifted and talented and instructional technology. Having not learned to read until she was in 4th grade herself, her passion for helping students succeed in school was inspired by her own great teachers. One of her greatest strengths was to help her students make connections with what they were learning and the real world. She loved to make learning fun and meaningful and would spend her summers working on how to make her next year's curriculum even better. Her use of literature in all of her teaching was inspiring.

Melissa won numerous awards during her career including Veramendi Elementary Teacher of the Year, District Elementary Teacher of the Year, Regional Teacher of the Year, The Silver Unicorn Award, and TCEA's Instructional Technology Specialist of the Year.

Melissa will be lovingly remembered by all of  her family as well as her many friends, former coworkers, and a vast number of former students.

A Celebration of Life will take place September 23, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Oakwood Church in New Braunfels.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the NBISD Education Foundation. If you would like to further honor Melissa's life in other ways, you can plant a butterfly garden, donate children's books to a teacher's wish list, or volunteer in an organization that makes the world a better place.

Please sign the guestbook at www.doeppenschmidtfuneralhome.com