Memorials › Leo VanBuren "Jake" Melton

Leo VanBuren "Jake" Melton

1 Feb 1934 – 27 Sep 2016

Birth	1 Feb 1934
Death	27 Sep 2016
Cemetery	Locust Grove Cemetery Philo , Champaign County , Illinois , USA
Added by	Adam Mayland on 18 Apr 2025
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170685122

Bio

Leo V. "Jake" Melton, 82, of Philo passed away at 4:47 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 27, 2016) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. Mr. Melton was born on Feb. 1, 1934 at Casey, a son to Martin V. and Pearl Gauthier Melton. He married Donna Mae Chmielewski on Oct. 11, 1952. She survives. They had five children, Victor (Kathy) Melton, Debra (Ron) Foster, Cheryl (Robin) Melton-Sanchez, Christie Watts and Rodney K. (Karen) Melton. He later married Janice M. (Brewer) Hoke on May 14, 1976, in Philo and together they raised daughters, Marcel (Todd) Hoke-Harvey and Lisa M. (Justin) Henderson. Also surviving are 17 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Shirley (Lou) Taylor and Mary Ellen (Tony) Bosch and a brother, Joseph (Nancy) Quaglini. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister. He graduated from Homer High School in 1952 and Parkland College in 1977. He received a bachelor's degree in tech ed in 1979 and a master's degree in 1980-81 from Eastern Illinois University. He considered himself "A Patriot" with 40 years served in the U.S. Air Force in active duty from 1952 to 1972 with one year in the Korean War and two years in the Vietnam War. He then worked in civil service for the Department of Air Force at Chanute from 1975 to 1995. In his two tours of duty in the Vietnam War, the first was with the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron, as senior quality control inspector, and in his second tour, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal for heroism in an open sea rescue mission in Southeast Asia, 12 miles from China. He was a member of American Legion Post 1171, Philo, and Zion Lutheran Church, Philo. He enjoyed wood carving and long-distance walking as a hobby and raising his coon hound "Annie." News-Gazette, The (Champaign-Urbana, IL)

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