DOT architect leaves legacy of being bold, caring

By DEBORAH A. MILES
The passing of 47-year-old Melissa Rowe, a landscape architect, has left a huge void in the hearts of PEF Division 284 members who work in PEF Region 3 at the state Department of Transportation (DOT).

Rowe was a PEF steward, division secretary, member mobilizer and convention delegate. She designed aspects of the O’Rorke Bridge, the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge rehabilitation, the Route 251 bridge and several reconstruction projects in Dansville, Livonia and Avon.

She also designed the Lake Ontario State Parkway Multi-Use Trail which was dedicated to her in December by her DOT colleagues. She passed away May 29, 2009, from a car crash.

Division 284 Council Leader Troy Salley said what is important is to keep Rowe’s memory alive for the enormous amount of work she contributed throughout the Rochester region.

Members of the division are having a fundraiser to purchase a memorial plaque to be placed at the head of the 3.3 mile trail, which blends into its lakeside landscape with wooden fences and natural stone retaining walls. In spring, a garden of forget-me-nots will also be planted in her memory.

Kevin Miller, a PEF steward and regional landscape architect, said Rowe was very passionate about her profession.

“Melissa was connected to the environment and always made sure man’s activities blended with the environment,” Miller said. “She was very driven in her work.”

“Melissa was adamant we do our jobs to the best of our abilities, for the union and at work,” added Dan Landers, division treasurer and a civil engineer 1.

Her colleagues described her as bubbly, bold, hard-working, caring, and a person who enjoyed just having fun.

“If someone was acting in an unprofessional or inappropriate way, and other people were reluctant to speak up in fear of intimidation from a higher up, she would step up to the plate,” Landers said.

“Melissa would want us to remember two things: strive for the best and maintain your ideals.