Carmelinda "Melin" Menas

Carmelinda “Melin” M. Menas, 48, passed away January 2, 2022 at Baystate Medical Center from complications due to Covid-19. Born in Manila, Philippines on April 15, 1973, she grew up in Rumford, Maine and graduated from Dirigo Mountain Valley High School. For the last 18 years, she was a Springfield, Massachusetts resident. Melin worked for 18 years for Freedom Credit Union, starting her career as a teller and worked her way up to Branch Officer. She was also a realtor for BKaye Realty since 2009. For the past few years she was the Fundraiser/Marketing Coordinator for the Springfield Ballers and Indian Orchard Citizens Council.  She was currently a participant through the Leadership Pioneer Valley LEAP Class ‘22 working  on a community project with Team Anchors Away. 

She was an active and dedicated volunteer and student mentor throughout the community. Melin and Freedom Credit Union opened a branch inside the Roger L. Putnam Vocational Academy where she worked closely with students teaching them how to operate the daily bank operations and how to budget and manage their money. Although her background is in finance literacy, her passion was truly mentoring at-risk youth in Springfield. For over a decade she has been involved in school based mentoring programs. During that time, she mentored several young ladies, serving as a positive role model and friend to them to make it all the way to graduation. Melin also volunteered with Junior Achievement. She was chosen by the Springfield Superintendent’s office to serve on an advisory board for SPS, and previously served on the Boys Ink Board of Directors providing services to at risk boys in the Greater Springfield area.

Melin will be especially remembered as a selfless, giving person and a loving and devoted mother and daughter.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her children: Malia Gloria Wood and Walter Wood, III, her fiancé Walter Wood, Jr. and her mother, Emelinda Tibbetts of Roxbury, of Maine. Besides her children, she leaves behind a step-daughter Joslyn Kile Wood and God-daughter Meagan Levesque both of Maine and a handful of adoptive nieces and nephews. She also leaves numerous close friends including Olive Kauila-Fields of Hawaii, Angela Gotay-Cheverez of Hadley, Michelle Rowe of Springfield, Linda Mahon of Springfield and her  dear friends back in Oxford Credit Union, Maine where she worked for ten years before moving to Springfield; Rosemary Richard, Debra Belskis, Kelly Bolkinick, and Liza Moore.

Calling hours will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 from 10am-12pm at Nowak Funeral & Cremation Services followed by a Memorial Service at 12pm. ( CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAMING )

In lieu of flowers, please donate online in honor of her memory through www.springfieldschoolvolunteers.org.

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