Family mourns ‘radiant’ mother-of-two killed by falling tree branch

Tributes have poured in for a Central Coast mother-of-two who died in a freak accident while heading off on holidays with her family.

Dr Melinda Pickup, 48, died when a large tree branch fell through her windscreen during a severe storm while she was driving through Macquarie Pass on the Illawarra Highway, south of Sydney, just after 4pm on January 17.

Her husband and two young sons were in the car, but they were not physically injured.

Dr Pickup, a conservation biologist with a passion for science communication, was described by her employer Greening Australia as an “exceptional scientist.”

In a statement, the national not-for-profit called Dr Pickup “an innovator – dynamic, passionate, and visionary – yet also meticulous, discipline, and unwavering in her commitment to scientific rigour”.

“Her leadership, insight, and warmth will be profoundly missed by a community that is immeasurably diminished by her loss,” it said.

“Melinda brought science to life. She carried her knowledge from the classroom into the field, applying conservation genetics to real world challenges that demanded practical, evidence based solutions.”

Family friend Cherie Gardner described the mother as a rare and genuine beauty, defined by a kindness that felt effortless and a heart that was always open.

“As a mother, she was the steady, loving anchor of her boys’ lives, and as a wife and daughter, she gave herself fully to those she loved,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page.

“She possessed a quiet, radiant grace and a gift for being truly present in every moment, making everyone around her feel valued and deeply cared for.”

The family friend is looking to raise money to ease the financial burden as the family struggles through an “unimaginable loss and navigates their deep grief”.