Colleen F Melroe

Colleen F. Melroe, age 70, passed away peacefully on November 5, 2017 following liver transplant surgery earlier this year on January 30th.
Colleen endured many hardships but also a lot of pleasant moments over the past nine months of hospitalization and nursing home stay. She was visited by several long-time friends and co-workers, and almost daily by close friends, either Beverly Wright or Curt Sampson. While the liver transplant was successful, she had some setbacks including the inability to eat, a broken hip from a fall, massive infections and a dozen other procedures. The nutrition and antirejection meds were withdrawn Sunday, October 29th after which she continued to decline.
She was born in Grafton, ND on March 18, 1947, and grew up in Cavalier, ND where she attended school, graduating with the class of 1965. She went on to attend North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton, received her Associate Degree in Business and went to work in Fargo for Kost Brothers Construction and Clark Equipment. She moved to Minneapolis in 1978. She joined Means Telecom in 1996, later known as Onvoy, Inc., where she was employed as the Executive Secretary to Dave Kelly and Janice Aune, Presidents, and also the committee chairman and longtime friend, Walt Clay. In her position, she became good friends of the board members, their families and most all of the shareholder members.
In November of 2007 she joined Communications Systems, Inc. as Executive Assistant to the Presidents, and Chairman Curtis A. Sampson, who had also served on the Onvoy board during her years at Onvoy. She actively served in that role until her surgery January 30th, at which time she went on medical leave until her retirement in April.
Colleen's favorite pastime was listening to music, watching DVD's particularly of Celtic Thunder, and watching the Food Network. Colleen came to enjoy horse racing at Canterbury Park and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the horses at the farms and racetrack. Her favorites were Sugar Storm, and namesake Cavalier Prince.
Colleen is survived by her mother, Doreen Lesher Sundeen of Detroit Lakes, MN and brother, Douglas Lesher of Hot Springs, SD and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her father, Lyle Lesher.
A memorial service will be held at the condo building where she lived at 5643 Green Circle Drive, Minnetonka, on the 2nd floor on Friday, November 17th, 2017 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Interment will be at Cavalier, ND at a later date.