Obituary of Howard G. Mellen

Howard G. Mellen, age 84, died on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at Somerset Medical Center. He was born in Newark and had lived in Chatham before moving to Warren. He graduated from Millburn High School and from Lafayette College in 1950 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Mellen was a World War II veteran having served in the U. S. Army as a swimming instructor at Fort Ord, California. He worked at Weston Electrical Instrument Company for 10 years as a Methods and Plant Layout Engineer, at Photomation Inc. as a Sales Engineer, at Englehard Industries and Gulton Industries and lastly at Picatinny Arsenal for 20 years until his retirement in 1982. Mr. Mellen was a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Newark and a Trustee at Martinsville United Methodist Church and a Sunday School Teacher at Chatham Methodist Church. He belonged to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was a Chairman of the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. He was an avid swimmer and loved swimming in the ocean. He is predeceased by his parents, Earl R. and Isabel Hollaway Mellen and a brother, Earl R. Mellen. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marian Gruver Mellen; his sons, Howard B. and his wife, Becky, David R., Donald B. and his wife, Anne and Scott G. and his wife, Kathy Mellen; his grandchildren, Barbara, Pamela, Dawn ,Sheila and Keli; his siblings, Ray R. Mellen, Roy Mellen, Joan Walsh and Carol Wick. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 21st at 11:00 a.m. at the Martinsville Methodist Church, 1949 Washington Valley Road, Martinsville followed by interment at Somerset Hills Memorial Park. Visitation will be on Friday at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung from 7-9 p.m. only. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 400 Morris Ave. Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834-1365.