Melanie Kapoor passed away on Monday night due to complications from a sudden illness. She was 49 years old.
The tragedy leaves Chicago’s advertising, film, and hospitality industries at a loss, for Melanie was loved and respected by pretty much every person she ever met.
Born in England to an Indian father and a German mother, Melanie spent her early childhood in London before moving to the suburbs of Chicago.
There, she grew up to become a universe unto herself. Wielding unique charm, quick wit, startling candor, and cosmopolitan style, Melanie offered deep, loyal, and thrilling camaraderie to anyone lucky enough to call her a friend.
Besides a legion of intimate acquaintances, there were dozens of four-legged companions in the dynamic sphere of Melanie Kapoor, who was a prolific and outspoken animal lover.
Melanie’s entrée into the professional world came by way of a client service position at MARC USA that she landed after graduating from Loyola University. She remained there until the impulse for something new motivated her to trade the agency gig for a sales position with Ruth Ratny, the founder of Screen Magazine and Reel Chicago.
The years that Melanie and Ruth spent working together fueled a professional and personal relationship that would last both of their lives.
When the urge for variety struck once again, Melanie became the Midwest Regional Manager for Flow Wine Group, a national provider of wine tastings and wine ambassadors that perfectly complemented her lust for life.
There was no such thing as a typical day in the life of Melanie Kapoor. She could make a business presentation, talk her way into a movie, visit an animal shelter, and be the life of the party without batting an eye. Unless she felt like batting an eye, which was another thing Melanie could do with incomparable charm.
Melanie was loved and respected by everyone who had the pleasure to know her, and will truly be missed by friends and colleagues.
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