Melissa Starry

1951 - 2025

Melissa Osbourn Starry was born in 1951 and welcomed home to parents Irene and Walter Hayden "Ossie" Osbourn. She joined big brother Riley Osbourn at their family homestead in the heart of Fredericksburg. Melissa attended FISD schools while spending time riding horses, pretending to be a cowboy, scouting, competitive swimming, playing the French Horn (like her musician brother Riley) and taking dance lessons with best friends Penny and Aneen. Later in adolescence, Melissa and Virginia, "Ginner" Kennedy Boswell met, which led to a lifelong sisterhood.

Upon graduating from high school, she moved to San Antonio to attend a cosmetology academy, then settled in Austin to start a 50+ year career as a hair stylist. Melissa eventually owned her own hair salon in Austin, The Bushwacker, where she met her husband of 41 years, Ronald Starry. At the time, she was so popular as a stylist that she regularly referred clients to other employees due to the dedicated following she acquired. Members of ZZ Top, Rusty Weir, and Luckenbach's own Hondo Crouch were among her customers. Luckily, Ron secured a coveted appointment, instantly noting her effervescent personality, talent, and natural beauty. He was smitten, they started dating and soon found themselves in New York City shopping for rings. Ron and Melissa married in 1984.

Melissa and Ron soon moved to Houston, where their daughter Sarah Emily was born and, when she was two, they moved to Melissa's family home in Fredericksburg to offer Sarah the same smalltown Texas upbringing she and Ron had as children. Sarah went on to attend Fredericksburg schools, just like her mother.

Melissa was a super-hands-on parent. She was the consummate active mom, shuttling Sarah near and far for dance competitions, gymnastic meets, golf tournaments, cheerleading events, and so much more. Sarah said of losing her mother: "This is the greatest pain I've endured, but I'm so lucky to have been loved SO dearly and deeply." They shared an incredibly close and unbreakable bond, considering each other best friends.

When Sarah had her own children in the last few years, Melissa became an absolutely adoring grandmother, embracing the name "MamaLissa" to Oscar Tomás "Ossie" Mendoza Starry (nicknamed for Melissa's father) and Carolína Ofelia "Coco" Mendoza Starry. When Melissa met Ron, he already had a young daughter, Caroline, who Melissa immediately took to as a wonderful stepmother. They enjoyed a multi-decade, very special relationship.

Shortly after moving to the Hill Country, Melissa furthered her photography career, creating both gallery-worthy artistic shots while also taking countless portraits over the years for kids, families, brides, graduates, artists and many more in her photography studio above Dooley's on Main Street. The Fredericksburg Art Guild occupied that second floor for years, and, while taking painting lessons there, she met local artists who encouraged her to join the Art Guild to truly hone her craft. Thus began a prolific artistic career, resulting in more than 60 gallery group shows and a solo, one-woman show at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram. Melissa described her multimedia works as incorporating print-making, acrylics, oil pastels, collage, found objects and photography on textured paper and canvas.

In her own words about a solo show years ago, she added: "There is a bit of hope thrown in. Some might call it a bucket list. I call it a road trip. I am enjoying the ride and the work, and I believe the exhibit will bring big smiles to many and hope they will 'enjoy the view.'"

In addition to her art bringing joy and admiration, Melissa herself brought "big smiles" to pretty much everyone she encountered for 70+ years. She was smart, funny, talented, a wonderful storyteller, and a friend to many. Melissa volunteered for countless organizations in Fredericksburg. She was instrumental in securing a new, permanent structure for the Fredericksburg Art Guild several years ago. She wrote many grant applications for the local arts org, a process she found maddening but still insisted on managing.

Melissa was featured in many group shows at the Art Guild and still has works hanging there today, including her "Tall Tales of Texas" series, a multi-medium set featuring spots around the state.

Upon moving to her family's home, Melissa and Ron converted an out dwelling on the property to what would become Starry's Studio, a hair salon where she styled many noteworthy folks, including the legendary Lady Bird Johnson. That space became her art studio in 2000 and was eventually converted to Starry's Studio, a popular B&B that Melissa, Ron, and Sarah launched in 2015, which still operates today.

She served on several local boards over the years and spearheaded fundraising campaigns for Relay for Life, The Nimitz Foundation, and many others. In 2010, Fredericksburg woman's service organization Zonta International honored her with the Woman of the Year award due to her dedicated service. This honor was suggested and championed on by Melissa's dear friend and fellow Zonta member Liz Wunderlich.

Melissa and Ron were married over 40 years and enjoyed many travels and experiences together. They especially loved visiting Chicago to indulge Ron's White Sox obsession as she knew a trip there would lead to visiting the city's amazing museums and restaurants. Their two-week trip to Italy for Sarah's wedding was another, more recent, highlight traveling with the whole family and several dear friends.

She loved a quick trip out of state in constant pursuit of a Royal Flush and she invariably bet on the horses during Fredericksburg's seasonal races. Melissa always acquired a program ahead of time to study the line up and she never turned down an opportunity to bet on a gray horse. She loved a parade, regularly posting up in front of Silver Creek with a fun crew, because, as a child, Melissa having a birthday just before the County Fair each August led her to believe that the fair and parade were put on just for her. Her loved ones fostered this belief, always.

One of Melissa's lifelong travel partners was Ginner Boswell, mother to Melissa's godsons and, in turn, Sarah's godmother. For a lifetime, they collected and recounted legion travel stories. For the last many years, in addition to her presence in the local arts scene, Melissa could often be seen having a fabulous lunch with friends at Vaudeville, enjoying time at Sozial Haus, or walking a pup up and down Main Street.

Such was Melissa to many: a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend, a travel buddy, a colleague, an artist, an ally, a stylist, a mentor, a neighbor, a dog lover, and, most of all, a helper.

Unfortunately, Melissa was diagnosed with cancer in October 2025 with an initially encouraging prognosis. Sadly, complications from chemotherapy led to a multi-system shutdown bringing her sudden passing. It is unfathomable to all involved that she is shockingly, tragically, gone. She was a bright, colorful light who will be missed by so many.

Melissa is survived by her husband Ronald Starry, daughter Sarah Starry de Mendoza, son-in-law Victor Mendoza, grandchildren Ossie and Coco Mendoza Starry, stepdaughter Caroline Starry, and godchildren Jason, Bucky, and Brett Bailess. The number of adoring friends and extended family proved too voluminous to list, but please know Melissa loved each of them.

A celebration of life event is planned for later this spring. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Melissa's honor to www.fredericksburgartguild.com, www.chimphaven.org, www.cancer.org, or www.heart.org.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent at www.schaetter.com

Funeral arrangements under the direction of the Schaetter Funeral Home