Jennifer Kathryn Mellis

Jennifer Curcio Mellis, 40, of Smithfield passed away on Wednesday, October 16, 2019. She was the daughter of James Joseph Curcio and the late Margaret (Peg) Finnegan Curcio. Jennifer is survived by her father James; husband, Matthew Gennaro Mellis; daughters, Ava and Madison; brother, Christopher Curcio, sister-in-law, Lindsay, and nephew, Henry; father- and mother-in-law, Jerry and Donna Mellis; sister-in-law, Jennifer Mellis; brothers-in-law Adam Mellis, Aaron Mellis, and Jonathan Mellis; and her godparents, Kathleen Van Horn and Paul Finnegan. She was preceded in death by her mother, Peg, and brother-in-law, Christopher Mellis. Jenn grew up in West Deptford, New Jersey surrounded by a large Italian family on her Dad's side and a large Irish family on her Mom's side. She loved her parents, Jim and Peg, and her brother, Chris, spending holidays at her grandparents’ tables among great food and laughter, and cheering on her Philadelphia Eagles. Jenn graduated West Deptford High School in 1997 and spent the majority of her career as an ophthalmic technician, most recently employed at Smithfield Eye in Smithfield, Virginia. With her love of family always in her heart, Jenn moved to North Carolina in 2008, where she found herself lucky enough to meet the love of her life (also from a large Italian family in New Jersey!) and start her own family. Matthew, Ava, and Madison were Jenn’s entire world—she loved spending time with them at home, at ECU football games and baseball games, cruising to places like Disney World and the Gulf of Mexico, and cheering them on at gymnastics and tee ball. Her dream was to provide a home for her girls where they could thrive, which she and Matthew realized just this past August when they moved into the first home they had ever purchased as a family in Smithfield, Virginia. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, October 21st at 11am at Good Shepherd Catholic Church with burial to follow in St. Luke’s Memorial Park. The family will receive friends and family on Sunday October 20th, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Little’s Funeral Home, Smithfield, VA. A memorial fund has been set up to help her husband and girls with expenses. Online condolences may be registered at www.littlesfuneralhome.com.