November 18, 2004: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Obituaries: Fallen: Rosemount Sun Current: Peace Corps volunteer Melissa Leigh Mosvick dies in Morocco

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Morocco: Peace Corps Morocco : The Peace Corps in Morocco: November 8, 2004: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Obituaries: Fallen: Peace Corps: Peace Corps Mourns the Loss of Volunteer Melissa Mosvick : November 18, 2004: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Obituaries: Fallen: Rosemount Sun Current: Peace Corps volunteer Melissa Leigh Mosvick dies in Morocco

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-36-89.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.36.89) on Sunday, November 21, 2004 - 1:56 pm: Edit Post

Peace Corps volunteer Melissa Leigh Mosvick dies in Morocco

Peace Corps volunteer Melissa Leigh Mosvick dies in Morocco

Peace Corps volunteer Melissa Leigh Mosvick dies in Morocco

Peace Corps volunteer from Apple Valley dies in crash

By Erica Christoffer
Sun Newspapers
(Created 11/18/2004 9:12:32 AM)

Melissa Leigh Mosvick of Apple Valley lived each day to the fullest and left a mark of compassion on this world.

The 24-year-old Peace Corp volunteer died Saturday, Nov. 6, 2004, when a truck hit the public bus she was riding on in the town of Ouarzazate in Morocco.

Mosvick began her service in the Peace Corps Sept. 11, 2003, after turning down an international banking job to follow her passion for helping others. She had been living in Ouarzazate, also known as the gateway to the Sahara. It was there, as a small-business development volunteer, that she taught English and computer skills to the artisans at a training center.

Mark and Barbara, Mosvick’s parents, both said they have since heard stories of their daughter’s hard work and kindness from those whose lives she touched.

“Melissa has always been a pretty spiritual girl and she was always bringing out the best in others,” said her father, Mark.

Well into her initial project and community assignment, Mosvick took her Peace Corps work a step further. She began assisting an association for the handicapped. She also taught glass painting and helped individuals profit from their sales.

Most recently, Mosvick helped 20 Peace Corps small-business trainees transition in Morocco and facilitated several cross-cultural training sessions about her experiences.

“She embodied the best traditions of Peace Corps volunteers, and her life and work will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with her,” said Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”

Her leadership and commitment to the Peace Corps mission helped pave the way for the development of a new work site. Mosvick, over the summer, trained a women’s association group in the use of computers in the Moroccan village of Tazarine.

“Melissa went above and beyond to share her knowledge and skills with women’s groups, artisans and people in her community,” said Vasquez. “Her hard work and leadership were admired by the people of Ouarzazate and will continue to thrive in the lives that she touched.”

Mark said his daughter felt a calling to the Peace Corps, a path that her parents cautiously supported her in.

“She was so exceptional; she just had a wonderful spirit about her and she looked out for the welfare for those who were less fortunate,” Mark said. “All I can say is that she really was my hero.”

The passion Mosvick had for world travel and working with other cultures began long before her time in the Peace Corps.

She was a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where she double majored in international business and marketing. She was fluent in French, a skill that impressed her father, and she studied in France for one year.

In high school, Mosvick was a frequent guest at her friend Suchita Desai’s dinner table where she enjoyed her favorite Indian recipes.

“I think that’s what got Melissa so interested in different cultures,” Mark said.

Her spirituality became evident during a trip to Lebanon with a friend, Mark said, when she explored Christian holy sites throughout the country.

“We always knew that she took her religion seriously, but we didn’t have any idea how spiritual she actually was,” Mark said.

In addition to her love for all things international, Mosvick, who her parents affectionately called Honey Bee, could easily bring a smile to anyone’s face. She made laughter contagious, Barbara said.

As a member of the rowing crew at St. Thomas, Mosvick was known for making her friends laugh, even during those early morning practices, Mark said.

“Some people live very long lives and basically don’t accomplish much. And in [Melissa’s] very short life, she has lived more than a lifetime,” Barbara said.

Melissa is survived by her parents, Mark and Barbara; her sister, Kristin; grandparents, Roger and Nona Mosvick of Mendota Heights, and Odilo and Bernice Peine of West St. Paul; and several other relatives. Visitation was Nov. 12 at White Funeral Home in Apple Valley and funeral services were Nov. 13 at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in St. Paul.

“We feel like it’s important that we carry on her work,” Mark said.

A memorial has been set up in Melissa Leigh Mosvick’s name at Bremer Bank, 633 S. Concord St., South St. Paul.






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Story Source: Rosemount Sun Current

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Morocco; Obituaries; Fallen

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