Melissa and Josh McCormick moved to their current Northgate home in 2010. Melissa had grown up here and wanted to return to the neighborhood so her kids could experience a childhood similar to hers where people helped each other and enjoyed a sense of community. They also wanted to have grandparents and extended family close by.
Melissa was born and raised in Walnut Creek. She swam for Scottsdale Swim Team and attended Carondelet High School, also swimming for the high school team. She attended UC Davis for her undergraduate studies, then UCLA for dental school. This is where she met Josh. She now practices orthodontics with her father in San Francisco.
Josh, who was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in the Southern California town of Temecula, attended UC San Diego, then UCLA for dental school. He and Melissa married in 2009 at St. Mary’s Church in Walnut Creek, and he began practicing dentistry in Concord, just a few minutes from their home.
“This neighborhood has molded me into who I am as an adult,” says Melissa. As a teen she volunteered at John Muir Hospital, worked at Heather Farms as a lifeguard and a swim coach for San Miguel Swim Team. “These experiences taught me what it means to be part of a community,” she adds. In true full circle fashion with this community, her swim coach, Scott Hirsch, also coached her daughters, and Luann Hirsch was Melissa’s teacher in elementary school and now teaches her daughters piano. [The Hirsches were featured in this magazine in Sept. 2021. You can still read their story online at www. northgatelivingca.com]
The McCormicks have three daughters. Sarah is 11, and a busy girl with many interests. At heart, she is a naturalist and loves playing outside with animals and insects, gardening and wishes to “save and clean up the world.” She plays piano and is also an avid reader and lover of Harry Potter and the Land of Stories series. She stays active with swimming at Scottsdale (a breaststroker like her mom), soccer and basketball. In basketball her nickname is “Cobra” for her aggressive play on defense and striking the ball.
Samantha and Shanan are 9-year-old twins. Like their older sister and mom, both swim for Scottsdale and excel at breaststroke. Samantha loves soccer and math and is known as the “dog whisperer.” She also plays piano. Samantha plans on being a baker when she grows up and would like to go to Paris to enjoy all of the French baked goods!
Shanan prefers cats and is the one in the family who loves singing, dancing and performing. She is a great goalie on her soccer team, loves reading and horses, and also plays the piano; her favorite song to play is Disney’s Part of your World.
Josh loves the 49ers and participating in Fantasy Football. Melissa spends her free time running and participating in Masters Swimming. She has done two swims to Alcatraz.
The family has rescued two English Setter pups. Riley was an underweight, stressed, hairless, sick dog when they found him through Contra Costa Animal Shelter. He is now a soft, cuddly, healthy dog who they love dearly. After falling in love with this breed, they decided to rescue another English Setter, Waylon, who is a high energy dog who loves to run fast.
The McCormicks love Disneyland and for the past four years have based their family Halloween costumes on Disney themes (Sleeping Beauty, Monsters Inc., Donald Duck’s family, and in 2021 Cinderella). They also enjoy going on fun adventures like to the redwood forest and San Francisco art museums, or staying close to home and exploring the Farmers’ Market or hiking in our beautiful open space. Every year they enjoy the Nutcracker at the Dean Lesher Center in downtown Walnut Creek.
Melissa adds, “I love the small town feel of Walnut Creek with the convenience of big city amenities. We may be growing in size, but everyone still knows everyone and still wants to help each other. We love our community and what it has given back to our family. The support from family and friendships is wonderful.” All of Melissa’s three brothers and their families as well as her parents also live within five minutes, adding to that sense of community. “With two working parents it requires a village, and we are so grateful for our village.”
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at knavolio@bestversionmedia.com.
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991