Marissa  Alexandria McLeod passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the age of 17. Marissa came feisty and fighting into this world, 2 months premature and eager to blossom. From that point on, she strived to exceed all expectations, and never gave less than 100% in anything that she did. She is deeply loved and will be forever missed by her mother and  stepfather, Melinda and Chad Shaw, and her father and his girlfriend, Robert McLeod and Amanda Ragsdale, as well as her stepsister, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Marissa was born at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto and moved to Ripon  when she 7 years old. She was a senior attending Ripon High School, where she excelled academically. She maintained a 4.29 GPA while also being highly involved in sports and school activities. Marissa enjoyed  writing poetry, cheerleading, competitive dance, and spending time with  friends and family. The summer of her junior year, Marissa was invited to attend a summer program at Harvard University, where she hoped to  one day attend school.

 Marissa  cared deeply about helping others in her community and was actively  involved in developing programs and resources for those in need. She began a program that gathered used formal dresses to redistribute to girls who were not able to purchase their own prom dresses. She was  extremely compassionate and had an inherent desire to help those in need.
Anyone  who knew Marissa will always remember the amazing spirit she possessed. Many lives will be forever changed because of Marissa’s beautiful spirit and giving soul. Her memory will always live in the hearts of those she’s touched because of her passion and dedication to make other’s happy. Marissa, you are gone too soon but your spirit will live on forever.

Everyone is invited to a wake on Dec. 6, Sunday afternoon from 2 to 6 p.m. at Deegan’s Funeral Chapel (111 S. Palm Ave., Ripon, CA) and the funeral service will be held on Monday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Modesto, CA (1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA). Following the service, the reception will be held at 810 Spring Creek Drive, Ripon, and everyone is welcome to join. Online guest book is available at www.marissamcleod.com. Donations can be made at Oak Valley Community  Bank in memory of Marissa McLeod.