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302-478-7100 Wilmington & Hockessin, DE

Ben Watson Melvin, Jr.

Passed away on June 4, 2018 following a brief illness.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee in March 1926 to the late Ben Watson Melvin and the late Virginia Darden Melvin. At age 10, his family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where he lived for six years. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1942, he enrolled in Staunton Military Academy, and while there enlisted in the Army Air Corps pilot training program, to which he reported immediately following graduation in 1944. On leaving the service in 1946, he attended the University of Richmond (VA) before transferring to the University of Delaware where he earned a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree in 1950 and received the Charles B. Evans award for excellence in undergraduate research. He joined the DuPont Company and served in various supervisory and management assignments in Manufacturing, Research, Technical Service, Marketing, and Administration until his retirement in 1991 as Executive Assistant to the Chairman.

He loved the outdoors and over the years was active in skiing, hunting, fishing, and tennis, but his passion was golf, which he and his wife pursued as members of Wilmington Country Club and at many other U.S. and offshore locations. He was a member of Christ Church Christiana Hundred and also held memberships in the DuPont Country Club, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Society of Chemical Industry, and Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity.

He was predeceased in 2008 by his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth Hershey Melvin, and in 2014 by his sister Martha M. Ficke of Wilmington. He is survived by son Ben W. Melvin, III of Wilmington with Rebecca Ferguson; daughter Landis M. Bowman of Westminster, CO with grandchildren Kelley, Katie, and Christopher; son Thomas C. Melvin of Newark, DE with wife Rebecca and granddaughter Lucie; son Mark C. Melvin of Windham, NH with wife Sue and grandchildren Kenna and Cooper.

The family would like to express their warm thanks to the people in the Health Care wing at the Stonegates Retirement Community, who cared for Ben with compassion and fortitude.

The family suggests in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Christiana Care Health System, Office of Development, PO Box 1668, Wilmington, DE 19885.

Funeral Services

Interment will be private. There will be no memorial service.

Condolences

    Megan Gaffney and Theresa Hessey writes,
    Tom - we're thinking of you, Rebecca, and Lucie. Let us know if you need anything.
    06/06/2018 08:44 am
    Christine Ford writes,
    Dear Ben and Rebecca - I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your father. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. In sympathy, - Christine Ford
    06/06/2018 10:31 am
    Molly and Hal Kenton writes,
    We played many rounds together all along the east coast as well as Ireland and can say no finder person ever walked this earth than Ben Melvin. A real gentleman. It was a privilege to have known Ben and Betty.
    06/06/2018 03:31 pm
    Honey Linberg Fisher writes,
    I was so sorry to read of Ben’s passing. He was a wonderful man and very kind to my father at Stonegates. Ben was always smiling and loved to chat whenever we visited. Please accept my deepest sympathy.
    06/07/2018 08:26 am
    Mary Lu Currin writes,
    So sorry to learn of your dad's passing. He was such a wonderful gentleman, remembering our ski vacations and seeing him at WCC. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers. Mary Lu
    06/07/2018 11:22 am
    Meg Grotti and Family writes,
    To the Melvin family, please know that we are thinking of you all and sending our love. Please let us know if we can help at all in the coming days and weeks.
    06/10/2018 10:03 pm

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