Alyssa McClellan
Of the many beautiful legacies left behind by 30-year old, Stansbury Park mother of four, Alyssa McClellan, perhaps the greatest of all was her zest and love for life and ability to cherish every moment. As described by her army husband, SPC Thomas McClellan, “Alyssa was almost fanatical about telling people to live today to its fullest, because you just never know.”
Even in passing, Alyssa brought light and joy to her family and friends, requesting a Celebration of Life rather than a traditional funeral, complete with lively music, a taco truck, and a bounce house.
Spending most of her growing up years in Erda, UT, Alyssa was an avid tennis player, budding photographer, and competitively danced as a member of the All-American National Clogging Team. Later, she studied at Utah Valley University. Says her family, “sporting the brightest smile and most contagious laugh, it is fitting that she began her career as a Dental Assistant and ultimately became an Office Manager for several dental offices in the area.”
A basketball tournament eventually brought Alyssa and Thomas together and they were married just 9 months later at Wheeler Farm. They soon made their home back in the valley of her youth, settling in Stansbury Park and soon adding 4 beautiful boys to their family: twin boys Riley and Jackson, age 9; Blake, age 5; and Boston, age 2. All this in the face of multiple military activations for Thomas, including one in Afghanistan.
In addition to her own hobbies of crafting and tennis, Alyssa especially enjoyed spending time with her family: relishing happy times at Lake Powell, camping, and cheering on her boys in their various sports endeavors. Her friends describe Alyssa as not only just passionate about life, but also incredibly generous and truly and sincerely concerned for the well-being of others.
In June of 2018, Alyssa’s life took a drastic turn when she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. In spite of aggressive chemotherapy treatments that seemed to be shrinking the tumors in her lungs and pelvis, further growth was discovered in January of this year. Alyssa was chosen to be one of this year’s nominees by the Kicking Cancer’s Can Committee in the following months, not knowing that she would not make it to the event and would eventually leave this life on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019--a day in which she will forever be remembered as the honored mother she was.
Alyssa’s obituary describes her as “tenacious” – a word meaning, “persisting in existence; not easily dispelled.” Perhaps no better word could describe Alyssa, as her influence and light continue to shine on even in death—in the faces of her four boys, in the memory of her words “we can do hard things!”, and in the hearts of those she loved and taught with her example of resilience in adversity. Her generosity and kindness also live on in the “Alyssa Alliance”, an organization set up in her honor to benefit other families battling rare forms of cancer. Truly, Alyssa’s love continues to persist in existence and her light will not be easily dispelled.
Even in passing, Alyssa brought light and joy to her family and friends, requesting a Celebration of Life rather than a traditional funeral, complete with lively music, a taco truck, and a bounce house.
Spending most of her growing up years in Erda, UT, Alyssa was an avid tennis player, budding photographer, and competitively danced as a member of the All-American National Clogging Team. Later, she studied at Utah Valley University. Says her family, “sporting the brightest smile and most contagious laugh, it is fitting that she began her career as a Dental Assistant and ultimately became an Office Manager for several dental offices in the area.”
A basketball tournament eventually brought Alyssa and Thomas together and they were married just 9 months later at Wheeler Farm. They soon made their home back in the valley of her youth, settling in Stansbury Park and soon adding 4 beautiful boys to their family: twin boys Riley and Jackson, age 9; Blake, age 5; and Boston, age 2. All this in the face of multiple military activations for Thomas, including one in Afghanistan.
In addition to her own hobbies of crafting and tennis, Alyssa especially enjoyed spending time with her family: relishing happy times at Lake Powell, camping, and cheering on her boys in their various sports endeavors. Her friends describe Alyssa as not only just passionate about life, but also incredibly generous and truly and sincerely concerned for the well-being of others.
In June of 2018, Alyssa’s life took a drastic turn when she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. In spite of aggressive chemotherapy treatments that seemed to be shrinking the tumors in her lungs and pelvis, further growth was discovered in January of this year. Alyssa was chosen to be one of this year’s nominees by the Kicking Cancer’s Can Committee in the following months, not knowing that she would not make it to the event and would eventually leave this life on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019--a day in which she will forever be remembered as the honored mother she was.
Alyssa’s obituary describes her as “tenacious” – a word meaning, “persisting in existence; not easily dispelled.” Perhaps no better word could describe Alyssa, as her influence and light continue to shine on even in death—in the faces of her four boys, in the memory of her words “we can do hard things!”, and in the hearts of those she loved and taught with her example of resilience in adversity. Her generosity and kindness also live on in the “Alyssa Alliance”, an organization set up in her honor to benefit other families battling rare forms of cancer. Truly, Alyssa’s love continues to persist in existence and her light will not be easily dispelled.
