Melanie Ann Castell

Melanie Ann Castell

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Melanie Castell, 71, passed away on May 27, 2022, at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, ON, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

Melanie was born on July 26, 1949, to Harriet (Hope) and John W. Castell in Fairfield, IA. She attended Fairfield schools, graduating from Fairfield High School in 1967, where she had been in the National Honor Society. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio, majoring in art history. Her mother, grandparents and numerous other relatives attended Oberlin College as well.

She moved to Toronto, ON, in the early 70s, where she met Ben St. Jermaine.

They married in Fairfield, IA, in November 1979 and settled in Ames, IA, where Melanie worked in the University Library. They moved to Berryville, AR, in 1990 to care for Harriet. Melanie and Ben divorced in 1993.

Melanie and John Webb rekindled a romance from their early 20s and married in October 1998. Melanie moved from Arkansas back to Toronto accompanied by Freckles, her dog and two cats.

Melanie was a fiercely loyal friend and through her dedicated correspondence kept her friends and families up to date on all the events and celebrations she observed. She enjoyed going to art museums, sewing and playing solitaire. She loved being a mom to Alyssa Webb Gray and adored her granddaughter, Emily Gray. She will be deeply missed for her kindness, her great organizational skills and her radiant smile.

She is survived by her husband of 22 years, John Webb; her stepdaughter, Alyssa Webb Gray; son-in-law, Nathan Gray; granddaughter, Emily Gray, all of Toronto, ON; her sister, Linda Castell of Bow, WA; and brother, Hugh Castell of Oahu, HI.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Melanie on October 14, 2022, in Fairfield, at 2 p.m. at the Carnegie Museum in Fairfield, Iowa. Melanie’s ashes will be interred at the Fairfield Evergreen Cemetery on October 14, 2022, at 11 a.m.