Obituary of Rhonda Lea Mellinger (Laskowsky)

Rhonda Lea Mellinger (Laskowsky) lived 65 years that were defined by her dedication to serving others. On March 26, 2024, she died peacefully after an extended fight with cancer.

She was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 21, 1958, to the late Carol and Ronald Mellinger.  Molded by her adventurous and independent childhood, she became the resilient, hard worker her family and friends could always depend on. She also learned how to savor the silver lining rain or shine. After exploring the country, she settled down to pursue a career as a nurse where she touched lives for 40 years, often working with those most in need.

Rhonda often told everyone her greatest achievement and greatest love was her family. No mother was prouder of her children and she was simply over the moon with her grandkids and everything they did. Her time spent with them was the happiest of her life. 

Some of the fond memories family and friends have of her are how she enjoyed a nice cup of coffee at any time of day, relished enjoying the sights on train rides, explored Disney resorts at Christmas time, treated herself to tea houses with her daughter, kayaked at sunset to watch the dolphins, and just read and do crosswords with more coffee or a glass of wine.

She is survived by her sister Renae; her children Mary, Daniel and Robert; their partners William, Sarah and Allie; her step-grandchildren, Lennon and Ciarán, and her grandchildren, Riley and Wyatt, whom she loved beyond measure. To say her family and friends will miss her is an understatement, though it's fair to say Rhonda didn’t want to be missed but to be remembered fondly and well. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to https://donate.cancer.org/ in Rhonda’s Memory so she can continue helping others as she did throughout her life. Also in typical Rhonda fashion, she asked everyone not to make a big fuss and keep to a nice casual get together in her memory. On April 6th at 10am, friends and family are welcomed to celebrate her wonderful life at Camp Idlewild of Florida (7602 Henry Dr, Land O' Lakes, FL 34638) where she volunteered as a nurse. We love you so much Mom/Grandma/Rhonda!