Melvene Burkhead Obituary

In Loving Memory of Elizabeth Burkhead
March 16, 1958 – July 12, 2025
It is with broken hearts and tremendous sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Mama and Nanny, Elizabeth Burkhead, who left this world on July 12, 2025. Born on March 16, 1958, to Nellie Echols and Jack Russell, Elizabeth was the center of our world-the quiet strength behind every good thing, the soft place to land when life was hard, the light that never seemed to dim.
She left us too soon, though no amount of time could have ever prepared us to say goodbye. It is an impossible thing, trying to let go of the one who held us together. She was there through all of it-the joy, the chaos, the grief, the laughter. She was the one who knew us before we ever knew ourselves. And now we are left to figure out how to move forward without her voice, her touch, her smile that always made the worst day feel bearable.
Our Mama and Nanny is now at peace, reunited with her parents, Nellie and Jack, her siblings, RV and Viola, her precious granddaughter Zoe, and the love of her life, Sam Miller. We take comfort in knowing that she is surrounded by the people she never stopped missing. But here on earth, her absence echoes in ways we can't yet name.
She called everyone "sunshine," and she meant it. She believed there was something bright and good in every soul, and she had a way of drawing it out. Her love was unconditional and unwavering, and her presence brought steadiness in a world that often feels too fast and too cold.
Of all the things she ever was-and she was many-being called Mama and Nanny were her greatest joys. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were the very heart of her life. She gave them everything she had, and they carry pieces of her in every breath, every choice, every soft moment of love.
She leaves behind her son Darrell Russell, his wife Hannah, and their children (Zoe - who was there to meet her at the Gates of Heaven), Loki, and Bri.
Her son Phillip Walker, his significant other Brittany, and their daughter Finleigh.
Her daughter Samantha Lawson, her husband Donnie, and their daughter Angel.
Her son Jaudie Walker, his wife Ashley, and their children Gavyn, Charlee, Taytum, Little Jaudie, and Nash.
Her nephew, who was like her son, Thomas Hubbard, his wife Stormy, and their children Rylee, Rainey, and Kayden.
Her great-grandchildren-June, Neo, Carolina, and JR-were her newest lights, the joy in her eyes and the laughter in her voice. She adored them beyond measure.
Her sister, Heddy Hubbard, and a host of nieces and nephews also survive.
Elizabeth loved to dance. Even when her body grew tired, the rhythm lived in her spirit. She loved the ocean and the feeling of warm wind on her face. She found heaven every day-in holding babies, late-night phone calls, and the sound of her family laughing down the hall.
She believed every day was better than the one before. That was her gift: to choose joy even in sorrow, to keep going even when life was hard. That's what she taught us-to love with everything we've got, and to never hold back.
Now, the world feels quieter without her. But her voice lives on in us. Her stories, her strength, her tenderness-they are stitched into our lives forever.
Rest easy now, Mama. Rest easy, Nanny. We weren't ready, but we are grateful for every second you were ours.
We will miss you every day for the rest of our lives and you will be our sunshine forever.
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant." – Matthew 25:21
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, July 18, in the Wilbanks Memorial Chapel with James Owens officiating.
Interment will take place at LaFayette City Cemetery.
A visitation will be held on Friday from 12:00 pm to the hour of service at the funeral home.
Arrangements are by Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette.
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