Born in Philadelphia, O'Malley attended Marple Newtown High School and was a junior studying marketing and public relations at UT, her obituary says.
She held a part-time job at Dairy Joy, an ice cream shop in Tampa, and worked at the Surfing Pig in North Wildwood, NJ, according to the restaurant.
Friends, coworkers, and loved ones posted tributes on social media.
On a GoFundMe campaign to support her family, loved ones said O'Malley was "the type of person who found the good in everyone."
"She never failed to make anyone’s day, and went above and beyond to make her friends and family feel special. Melissa was the light in so many lives," wrote organizer Melina Michos.
She is survived by her parents, Missy O’Malley (Crossan) and Patrick O’Malley, her Patrick Flynn O’Malley, her boyfriend Eric Jastrzembski, and many loving friends and relatives, her obituary says.
Click here to view the GoFundMe campaign and here to view the full obituary.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Allentown and receive free news updates.