Melanie Denise Hunsaker

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Melanie Denise Hunsaker, of Abilene, Texas, who went to be with the Lord on January 27, 2026, at the age of 70. Melanie was born on July 18, 1955, in Mesa, Arizona, to LeRoy and Dolores Hahn.

Melanie devoted many years of her life to her family and public service. She first chose to stay home to lovingly raise her two daughters, a role she cherished deeply. After her children were grown, she entered the workforce and dedicated 20 years of service to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She began her career in 1990 at the Pardons and Paroles Office in Snyder, Texas. A few years later, she became ill and was diagnosed with leukemia. Displaying remarkable strength and courage, Melanie fought bravely through her illness and received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from a donor in Germany. She entered remission as a cancer survivor and, in 2000, returned to public service with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a correctional officer at the Middleton Unit in Abilene, Texas. She retired in 2014.

Melanie was a kind, strong, and deeply loving woman. She was a devoted mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and a friend to all who knew her. Family was her greatest joy, and she especially loved talking about and spending time with her grandchildren. Melanie enjoyed reading Christian books, particularly those by Joyce Meyer, studying the Bible, baking cookies and pies for her family, caring for her plants, and tending to the animals she loved.

Melanie was preceded in death by her parents, LeRoy and Dolores Hahn, and her brother, David Hahn, all of Buckeye, Arizona.

She is survived by her daughter, Stephanie Carreon, and husband Brian, of Shallowater, Texas, and their children Hannah, Grace, and Molly; her daughter, Holly Alvarado, and husband Daniel J. (D.J.) Alvarado Jr., of Abilene, Texas, and their children Nathan, Faith, and Abbey; and her brother, Daryl Hahn, and wife Alexia, of Buckeye, Arizona.

Pallbearers will be Nathan Alvarado, Daniel J. Alvarado Jr., Brian Carreon, Jr Casarez, J.J. Bernal, and Jason Thompson.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Elmwood Funeral Home 5750 US Highway 277 in Abilene, Texas. A celebration of Melanie's life will follow at 12:00 p.m., with Perry Hunsaker officiating. Following the service, Melanie will be laid to rest at Elmwood Memorial Park.