Melissa Landay

Melissa G. Landay, age 58, of Cherry Hill, NJ, and San Francisco, CA, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2026 surrounded by her loved ones after a long and courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer.

Melissa was a dedicated wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend whose warmth, selflessness, and outgoing personality touched countless lives. She had a rare gift for forging deep, lifelong connections and maintaining them across time, distance, relocations, and life's challenges. Above all, she was a true Connector—she delighted in bringing people together and nurturing relationships in every aspect of her life.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Ted; her loving sons, Justin and Jonathan; her mother, Anita Garber; her brothers, Mitchell Garber (Andrea) and Scott Garber (Kara); as well as many loved nieces, nephews, and her great-niece. She was predeceased by her beloved father, Jay Garber.

Melissa graduated from George Washington High School in Northeast Philadelphia and earned her degree summa cum laude from George Washington University in Washington, DC, where she was valedictorian of her class. At GW, she was a founding sister and the first President of the Kappa chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. Her natural leadership and outgoing nature led her to serve multiple years on the Panhellenic Council Board, including a term as President. Following graduation, she remained an active member of the Alumni Committee, helping to plan many events throughout the years.

Melissa launched her distinguished career in commercial lending through the Relationship Management training program at CoreStates Bank. She held senior leadership roles at prominent institutions, including CoreStates (later First Union National Bank/Wachovia),

National City Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and finally Wells Fargo. She built strong client and colleague relationships across the East Coast and was later selected to relocate to San Francisco, where she led a team of 75 in the Bay Area. Melissa's greatest professional joy came from mentoring others—offering guidance, support, and opportunities for advancement. Her contributions were recognized with the Philadelphia Business Journal Women of Distinction Award.

Deeply rooted in her Jewish identity, Melissa was committed to community service. In the Philadelphia area, she was active with the JCC—packing meals and co-chairing professional networking events—and served on the board of her cherished synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom, remaining involved even after moving to California.

One of her greatest passions was her work with Susan G. Komen Philadelphia. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 (undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy), she co-chaired the inaugural More Than Pink Walk in 2019. She transformed her personal journey into a mission to support others facing similar challenges.

Above all, Melissa's greatest love was her family—her husband Ted and sons Justin and Jonathan. Despite a demanding career and extensive community involvement, she always made family her priority: attending events, celebrating milestones, and providing unwavering support through joys and difficulties. Even during her illness, her deepest concern was missing important moments in their lives.

Melissa lived life to its fullest, often captioning her photos #livingmybestlife—especially after her diagnosis, when she resolved to cherish every moment. After relocating to California, she and Ted explored the region every weekend. Her joy multiplied when her sons also moved to California, allowing more precious family time together.

She will be forever remembered for her warmth, resilience, generosity, selflessness, and unbreakable spirit.

Relatives and friends are invited to Funeral Services on Tuesday, March 31, 11:30 AM at Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Suburban North, 310 2nd Street Pike, Southampton PA 18966. Interment King David Memorial Park.

Shiva is being observed at the family residence on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 directly following funeral services with a shiva minyan at 07:00pm. Shiva will continue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 from 11:00 AM until 03:00 PM and visitation and minyan will be 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Visitation will be observed Thursday, April 2, 2026 from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Visitation will be observed Friday, April 3, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Melissa’s memory can be made to:

Temple Beth Sholom https://www.tbsonline.org/payment.php  

UCFS Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Fund: https://giving.ucsf.edu/fund/laura-huppert-breast-cancer-research-fund 

(Physical checks please make payable to UCSF Foundation and include instructions on the memo line or attach a note that designates the gift to Dr. Laura Huppert’s Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Fund, in memory of Melissa Landay and mail checks to: UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339.

BreastCancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/