Mrs. Melba Marie (Woodfork) Epps, born on May 19, 1923 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the late Florence McKenna Woodfork and the late Manzel Richard Woodfork, Sr., passed away at age 94 on May 18, 2018 in Coppell, Texas. Melba graduated from Xavier Prep High School (1940) and Straight Business School. She worked in the Healthcare industry at the Offices of Dr. Henry E. Braden III as Office Manager until retiring in 1988. Melba was the beloved wife of the late Lawrence Emile Epps, Sr.. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Manzel Richard Woodfork, Jr. (Mary), John Melvin Woodfork (Charlene) and brother-in-law Rod D. Bailey (Elaine); sisters, Dorothy Woodfork Wiltz Morrison, Elaine Woodfork Bonner Bailey (Rod), and Marion Woodfork; mother-in-law, Rosa Daste Epps; nephew and God-son, Thomas A. G. J. Lee; nieces, Barbara Woodfork (Manzel, III) and Cheryl Woodfork (Manzel, III) and lifelong friends, Doris Soupenne Ellsworth, June Paleo and Lester J. Relf, Sr.. Melba is survived by her son, Lawrence E. Epps, Jr.; beloved daughter-in-law, Rositta Marie Zarders Epps; beloved little sister, Florence Woodfork Lee; beloved co-mother-in-law, Adrian White (Frank); grandchildren, Lawrence Emile Epps, III (Juanita), Michael Emile Epps, Sr. (Adrienne), and Adam Emile Epps (Katlynn); great-grandchildren, Alexie Gabriela Epps and Michael Emile Epps, Jr.; nieces, Melanie Anderson, Donna Swanson (Charles), Catherine Bonner, Camille Jamerson, Nadine Lewis, Rhonda Bailey, Denise Foules, Ellen Lee, Roxann Woodfork, Laurie Bailey, Arlene Bailey-Williams (Anthony), Claudette Lee Vicks (Reginald),Christina Woodfork Psalms (Marcus); great-nieces, Dana Woodfork and Jennifer Vicks; nephews, Eldridge Wiltz, Jr., Manzel R. Woodfork, III, Michael T. Woodfork (Marie), Joseph LaCroix (Yolanda), Rod Damien Bailey (Toya); great nephew, Christopher Vicks; God-daughter, Elizabeth Penn and friends, Jacquelyn Relf, Kathy Schlund, and Eileen St. Clair. Melba loved to read the daily newspaper cover to cover, crossword & Soduko puzzles, watch soap operas, murder mysteries and western movies and was a lifelong New Orleans Saints fan - Who Dat! She was also a member of The Knights of St. Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary, Ct. # 60. Special thanks go to Melba's doctors & their staffs: Shaulan Hawkins, M.D., Edward Eichhorn, M.D., FACC, Michael J. Landgarten, M.D. and Jay Courtright, M.D. for the loving care they provided over the past 15 years. Also, thanks to her spiritual caretakers at St. Ann Catholic Church especially, Eucharistic ministers Lynne Ryan and David Krohn. Finally, thanks to Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) of Dallas for the outstanding end-of-life care they provided to Melba. May God bless Melba and may her soul rest in eternal peace. The family invites donations in Melba's name to The American Heart Association, The National Kidney Foundation, St. Katherine Drexel Preparatory School, New Orleans LA, or St. Augustine High School, New Orleans, LA. Friends and family members may attend the visitation on Thursday, May 31 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. followed by a mass of Christian burial at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, 1923 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, LA. A repast following interment will be held at Charbonnet Labat Glapion Funeral Home, 1615 St. Philip St., New Orleans, LA - (504) 581-4411.