Mary Savino

Brevard - Melissa Taylor Savino, 63, passed away at Mission Hospital in Asheville on Monday, February 27, 2017, subsequent to a long illness.

Melissa was born August 30, 1953 in Fort Worth, TX to the late Margaret ("Genie") Callis Taylor of Memphis and the late Lawrence ("Larry") Taylor of Cedar Mountain. Melissa graduated from Memphis Wooddale High School in 1971, and attended Memphis (State) University. She enjoyed a career in professional theater, acting and stage managing with Flat Rock Theater, the Anniston, AL Shakespeare Festival, the Playhouse on the Square in New York City, Seaside Music Theater in Daytona Beach, FL, and stage-managed the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain.

After moving to the Brevard area, Melissa became a successful entrepreneur, founding and operating Whimsy Mountain art and crafts, and was a professional dog groomer in Asheville. She was a former employee of the Brevard Board of Realtors and Ingles Grocery in Brevard, and raised and contributed organic food to Brevard Sharing House.

She is survived by her husband, Steven Savino of Brevard; by her brothers, Lawrence Scott Taylor and wife Dagmar Taylor of Chattanooga; Lee Taylor and wife Beverly Cusick Taylor of Telluride, CO; Casey Taylor and wife Kerri Taylor of Charleston, SC; by her nieces Dawn Taylor Cole, Rene Taylor Hermanson, Gillian Taylor, Ting Taylor, and Mabry Taylor, and by nephew Ian Taylor.

A celebration of Melissa's life and contributions to others will be held on at 2:00 pm on Monday, March 6, 2017 in the Chapel of Moore Funeral Home in Brevard. The family will receive friends after the service at the Old Stone Cottage, 60 W Morgan St, Brevard.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that any memorial contributions be made to Transylvania Habitat for Humanity.

To leave a condolence for the family of Mary Taylor Savino, please visit "obituaries" at www.moore-fh.com . Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations is serving the family.