Melissa Jane Nicandri

Melissa Jane Nicandri passed away on January 29, 2025, at the age of 28 years in an airplane crash in Washington, DC. At the time of her death, she was living in Brooklyn, New York.

 Melissa was born on March 10, 1996, in Jacksonville, Florida to Peter & Stacie Nicandri. They often called her Pumpkin throughout her life. She had a younger brother, Michael, who called her Sissy when they were very young. 

 Melissa attended school in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and graduated from Ponte Vedra High School in 2014 in the top ten of her class. She attended Vanderbilt University, became a member of the Tri Delta sorority, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 2018. While attending Vanderbilt, Melissa spent summers interning in Washington, DC and living with her Uncle Paul and Aunt Andrea. During one of those summers, she met her longtime boyfriend and current best friend, Ben Shtuhl, and they were living together in New York at the time of her death.

 After graduating from Vanderbilt, Melissa worked in Washington, DC for Booz, Allen & Hamilton before returning to school and obtaining a Master’s Degree in International Economics and Finance from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 2022. She began work with Moody’s Ratings in July 2022 and was enjoying her work and a successful career there.

 Melissa had a wide circle of friends from Ponte Vedra Beach, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, and her work. Her friends have said she had a gift for connecting her various friend groups and helping people make new friends. She grew up loving Harry Potter books and movies and visiting Disneyworld. She loved attending concerts, including a number of Taylor Swift concerts dating back at least a dozen years. She spent a semester in Barcelona, Spain while at Vanderbilt and used the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Europe. Melissa also visited several countries in Central and South America. She maintained her love of travel and spirit of adventure with Ben and her friends until her death.

 In New York, she loved to walk the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, see Broadway shows, and explore the New York City food scene. She was excellent at trivia, enjoyed yoga and pickleball, and rooted for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Throughout the years, she volunteered at various places, including Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity.

 Melissa is survived by her parents, brother Michael, grandparents Eugene and Lois Nicandri and Bonnie Lynch, Uncle Paul and Aunt Andrea Nicandri, Uncle Mark and Aunt Alee Nicandri, Aunt Cathy Lynch, Uncle Dave and Aunt Alice Lynch, and a number of cousins. She was predeceased by three Corgis – Lily, Bella, and Buster.

 Melissa was smart, beautiful, funny, generous and kind to everyone. Her family and friends will miss her terribly but will make sure that she is forever remembered. A Memorial Service to celebrate Melissa’s life will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at 11:00 am at Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family is going to develop a scholarship in her name as soon as possible.