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Postpone Tomorrow

Last week we said goodbye to Melinda Roshak, an invaluable employee and dear friend.  Mel, as we all called her in the office, started working with the Carroll family when they owned Georgia Mountain Water in 1986.  According to Jamie Carroll, the owner of Fontis Water, she had been out of high school for three years and knew absolutely nothing about the water business.  She began working for the water company as a liaison between the customer service department and the route department.  She actually worked the two-way radio used to dispatch service calls to the route drivers.  As the business grew, so did Mel’s knowledge of the business, and she quickly took on more responsibilities within the company. Mel eventually became a customer service supervisor at Georgia Mountain Water.

When Jamie decided to open the doors of Fontis, Mel didn’t have to think twice about coming to work for him.

“When I asked her to come help she explained to me that she only wanted to work part time because she wanted to be involved in the lives of her family and kids,” Jamie said.  “And that is exactly what she did.”

As Fontis grew, Mel’s role expanded well beyond customer service and she became a vital part of the day-to-day operations.  Her voice and kindness was known by all of our customers and she will be greatly missed by all.  One of the things Jamie will miss the most is Mel always saying, “okay, be careful,” when he would tell her he was leaving for the post office.

For the 10 and a half years Mel worked at Fontis, she sat in front of a large picture titled, “Postpone Tomorrow.”  “I think Melinda embodied that and knew just how precious each day we have actually is,” said Jamie.  “And she treasured those days greatly.”

Melinda Roshak October 18, 1963 – December 27, 2013