Melissa (Missy) May Burnor
Melissa (Missy) May Burnor, age 32, born on May 27, 1991, died on June 4, 2023.
Missy had a beautiful soul and a wonderful personality. She loved spending time with her sisters and nieces and nephews. She spent hours being the best nanny, playing with her beloved nieces and nephews at family functions because she loved them so much. Missy loved to play the “saran-wrap ball” game at Christmas time with all her family, smiling and laughing the entire time. She had an amazing sense of adventure and fun. When Missy smiled at you, you just couldn’t help but smile back.
Missy had endless hopes and dreams and good friends in her life until she started abusing prescription drugs. This led to her progressing to heroin and other hard drugs. Melissa was able to get sober several times but was never able to shake the addiction.
Prior to COVID Missy had been clean and working for almost two years. She attended an orientation at Vermont Technical College (VTC) intending to go back to school to become a veterinarian technician because of her love for all animals. Then she was allowed to file for unemployment and collect over $700 per week in COVID unemployment, which gave her lots of time with nothing to do and access to easy money. She went back to what she knew, which was heroin. It slowly took her away from us once again, her beautiful soul didn’t shine anymore. Her addiction turned her into a liar and a thief. Once in a while, we saw the beautiful person she could have been—no, should have been! But she chose HEROIN!
We wish Missy could have seen through our eyes what the drug addiction did to those who loved her. We hope she knew and understood we would have done anything to get the true Missy back. Please, if you are battling addiction, ask for help. Accept the help.
Missy is survived by her mother, Merly Guantero; father, John Burnor; sisters, Ruzell Soriano, Rhodelene (Jason) Premont, and Angela Burnor (Jeff Blouin); her beloved nieces and nephews, Davina, Kennen, Raven, Angelito, Quinn, Arianna, Davion, Maliyah, and Harper; paternal grandfather, David Burnor; several aunts and uncles, and many cousins.
Missy was predeceased by her paternal grandmother, Audrey Burnor— whom Missy and her cousins spent many wonderful days with; maternal grandmother, Theodora Bercasio, maternal grandfather, Jose Guantero; and uncle, Daryl Baker.
Kiddo we will always love you and cherish the wonderful memories we all have of you.
Family and friends are invited to Missy’s Life Celebration on Friday, June 16, 2023, to include visitation from 11 am until her funeral service at 12 pm Noon at the Goss Life Celebration Home, 89 Grand Ave., Swanton, VT 05488.
In lieu of flowers please donate to one of the following in Missy’s memory, Howard Center, 208 Flynn Ave. Suite 3J, Burlington, VT 05401 www.howardcenter.org or Spectrum Youth & Family Services, c/o Bridget Everts 31 Elmwood Ave., Burlington, VT 05401 www.spectrumvt.org
Condolences, photos, and favorite memories may be shared through www.gossfs.com
