NORWICH – Martin Mellon, 79, of Norwich and formerly the owner/operator of a dairy farm on the Hoag-Childs Road in Plymouth, passed away Thursday morning, April 19, 2007, in the Chenango Memorial Hospital.
Born in Charlotte, N.C., on May 12, 1927, Martin was one of the six sons of Clarence and Omey (Bowen) Mellon. He attended school in Charlotte, then entered the U.S. Air Force, serving his country until his honorary discharge. It was while Martin was stationed at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh that he met his future wife, Blanche Rose. They were married on Oct. 10, 1948, continuing to live in Newburgh for the next three years before relocating back to Charlotte for a year. The Mellon family moved back to Newburgh for four years, then made the move upstate in 1957, where they owned and operated a dairy farm to Morris for the next 13 years. In 1970, they sold that dairy and came to the Norwich area, settling on the Hoag-Childs Road in Plymouth and once again owning and operating a dairy farm. During this time, Martin worked for the Norwich Shoe Company as well, but the farm was his priority. When he sold the farm in 1991, he and Blanche moved to Tennessee where, for close to ten years, they were owner/operators of a tobacco and sheep farm. Martin moved back to Norwich in 2002, following Blanche’s passing in Oct. of 2001, and maintained his home in Norwich to the present time.
Martin was a very sharp but loving man, extremely patriotic and very proud that he had been able to serve his country. He was also somewhat of an historian, being especially interested in the World War II era.
Martin is survived by his daughters: Patricia Trimarchi and husband Jim of Binghamton, and Blanche Ashton and husband Dan of Liverpool; grandchildren Kristin Ashton, Amy Oppito and husband Robert, Sean Hamilton, and Alyssa Trimarchi; and great grandson Anthony Oppito, as well as nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his good friend and neighbor, Jim Lamphere, with whom he shared coffee ‘most every day, and Jim’s family; and his friend Doreen Vaughn, who had been Martin’s caregiver for the last 5 years,
Funeral services for Martin will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday from the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home. The Rev. Jeremy Stopford of Norwich will officiate. A graveside service will be held in the Woodlawn Cemetery of New Windsor, at 11 a.m. Wednesday.