Melissa Jo (Mercer) Mercer-Tachick

Melissa J. Mercer-Tachick

Melissa J. Mercer-Tachick, 50, of Grass Lake died on Friday January 15, 2021, at Henry Ford Allegiance Hospice Residence following a battle with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.
Melissa was born on December 7, 1970, in Battle Creek to Lewis and Juana (DuBois) Mercer. She attended Battle Creek Academy and graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1988 and attended the University of Michigan to earn a Bachelor's degree in Physics. Later she would get a Master of Arts in Teaching in Museum Education from The George Washington University and a second Master's degree in Education in Informal Science Education from the University of Florida. She went on to earn a doctorate from University of Michigan in Science Education. On June 16, 2006, she married John S. Tachick and they shared a love for gardening on a grand scale. Melissa was never far from her strawberries.

Melissa had a tremendous impact through her teaching, consulting, and mentoring work. She founded MUSE Educational Consulting in 2011 and led a team of education consultants on data design and analysis and program evaluation to increase the effectiveness of education institutions and organizations. Melissa also worked as a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer (and also as a Grant Writer and Outreach Coordinator) at YMCA of Jackson for 6 years where she developed a love for helping those with significant health challenges. In previous roles, Melissa was an inventor and launched her own company, Aloe Baby, selling a baby care product that she had developed. At Albion College, Melissa spent 7 years as a beloved professor teaching and preparing students to be effective teachers in STEM fields.

Melissa enjoyed spending time with her two beautiful kids Addison and Jacob and her husband John. She loved antiquing, gardening, playing games with the Scooby Gang, watching Game of Thrones and Mandalorian, and dog sledding. She was a fierce advocate for the use of sound science in decision making, women's rights, and STEM education for young women and girls.

She is survived by her beloved husband John; children Addison (10) and Jacob (8); her sister Victoria DuBois; her mother Juana DuBois-Mercer and special friends Richard Jones and Jeffrey Jones. She was preceded in death by her father and step-mother Lewis "Butch" and Nancy Mercer in 2019. In addition, Melissa is survived by the "Scooby Gang," a friendship group that formed 30 years ago at University of Michigan around her love for gaming.
Visitation will take place from 4-7pm on Wednesday January 20, 2021, at the Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services, 723 US Hwy 27 N, Marshall, MI 49068. Due to Covid19 marked entrances and exits will be used, and the state guidelines for masked and social distancing will be followed.

A graveside service will take place at 11am on Thursday January 21, 2021, at Oakridge Cemetery, 614 Homer Road, Marshall, MI 49068. The service will be able to be viewed, leave a personal message for the family, and sign the online guestbook at https://www.kempffuneralhome.com
For those that would like to honor Melissa, a memorial fund has been established to honor her: https://gofund.me/811a08dd