Cayla Denae (Middleton) Melendez |
| Posted 2025-04-04 by Pat R |
| Wickenburg Sun (Wickenburg, Arizona) Wednesday, March 12, 2025, p. A-6 Cayla Denae (Middleton) Melendez was born March 28, 1985, in Cottonwood, Ariz., to Duane Middleton and Carla (Kimzey) Cooke. She joined her older sister Carissa who had prayed for a sibling. The Middleton family then moved to El Mirage and Peoria before finally settling in Wickenburg in the Summer of 1991. Cayla graduated in May 2003 from Wickenburg High School. While in school, Cayla was very active in student council, cheer, Wahoos, tennis, band, and varsity football as manager. Cayla was recognized as the Elk's Jr Student of the Month. During her high school years, with Carissa now at ASU, Cayla decided to host foreign exchange students, Carmen, Rosa, and Niara from Mexico and Brazil. During high school she was involved in serving the Children's Church at Mount Hope Assembly and participated in a Group Drama/Music/Skit called a "Human Video" that made it to Nationals on three occasions. The year after she graduated, she worked at McClennan Elementary School as a reading intervention specialist. The next year, she was hired by Triad Steel Fabricating Company. First, Cayla was a receptionist and copied blueprints, then worked her way up to be Triad's Steel purchaser. That would be her primary adult career for a total of 17 years. In addition, she coordinated special events for Triad. Cayla was involved in Jazzercise and helped her dad with sound and music for Wickenburg Parades. She initiated the line dance, cupid shuffle, and couples dance for pre-Gold Rush parade activities. During her junior high and high school years, her heart discovered Brett Melendez--the love of her life. Upon Brett's honorable discharge from the US Navy, they married on Oct. 23, 2010, in Scottsdale with a 1920's theme. Then Blake Anthony on Aug. 15, 2015, and Brady Asher on Sept. 16, 2018 joined the family. They then purchased a house in north Phoenix. Cayla loved outdoor activities, from weeklong campouts at the lake, snow trips to northern Arizona, and trips to the beach in southern California. She loved amusement park rides and made many a friend sick on "The Zipper." Together, they purchased a travel trailer so they could build memories with the boys up in the pines of Arizona. After a massive mid-brain bleed for which there was no course of action to take, Cayla took flight into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Feb. 20, 2025, at the tender age of 39. Cayla was preceded in death by her two grandfathers, Hugh Middleton and John Kimzey; and one aunt, Vickie Kimzey. She is survived by her husband, Brett Melendez of Phoenix; and their two sons, Blake and Brady; father, Duane (Cheryl) Middleton of Wickenburg; mother, Carla (Theodore) Cooke of Phoenix; sister, Carissa (Evan) Fernald of Columbia, Tennessee; step siblings, Elizabeth, Martha, Peter and Paul Fowler, Susan (Chad) Rigetti, John (Nikki) Fowler, Sara (Garrett) Gant, Katie, Emily, and Rylie Cooke; grandmothers, Lavinia Middleton and Shirley Kimzey; parents-in-law, Jon and Kelli Miller; brothers-in-law, Joe (Megan) Melendez and Ryan Miller. Cayla is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends from her childhood and those in her work family at Triad Steel. A service celebrating her life will be held March 29, at 10 a.m. at Mount Hope Assembly of God in Wickenburg, the church she grew up in and was a member of. About noon following the service will be a "Cayla Melendez all Family and Friends Celebration" at Coffinger Park in downtown Wickenburg with food, games, music, and yes, once again, a couple of line dances in her memory. |
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