Melvin Willard Clack

Mel served in the United States Army Air Corps and the Air Force, having enlisted in mid 1941. He was stationed in New Guinea, Australia from 1942 to 1944. He also served as a radio operator on a C47 and in 1945 taught classes in Texas for the Air Force. Mel worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He and his family moved to Prescott in 1953 where he and his wife opened Mel?s Café. In 1956 he became an Independent Dealer with Goodyear, selling tires to Cyprus Bagdad Copper Co. retiring in 1997. Mel was founder of the Yavapai Center for the Blind in 1980, he started a 3rd Grade School Reading Program in the 1970?s with all of the public schools, then worked solely with Washington School and Miller Valley School. He started collecting magazines which came from the Lions paper bins and Prescott Library which he distributed to the YMCA, PCDC, Open Door and some shut ins. Mel was very involved with the Angel Tree Camp. Mel was very active in the Prescott Noon Lions Club, Prescott United Methodist Church and Aztlan Lodge #1 Free and Accepted Masons in Prescott. Mel enjoyed walking the neighborhood, and occasionally got lost. He would meet some of the neighborhood kids on his walks, and always had a Butterfinger or Silver Dollar in his pocket to give them. He took care of the birds around his house, feeding them daily only the best. Tending to the watering of the gardens and all the beautiful blue spruce trees around the house he and the family planted. Mel loved to read (Talking Books) and remembers fondly sailing under the Golden Gate bridge with his life long friend Joe McIlvain on a troop ship. He was proud of his loving wife, daughter, and grandchildren. Mel is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Dorothy Clack of Prescott, daughter, Becky (Jerry) Cochell of Prescott. Also deeply loved was Bobbie (Bill) Peterson who was the widow of Mel?s son Doug. He is also survived by his Granddaughters, Andrea, Julie, Samantha Hernandez and Great Grandson Kai Hunter Clack of Prescott and Granddaughter Jodi (John) Woodburn of New Mexico, Great Granddaughters, Kelsi and Jordi of New Mexico, his sister-in-law, Lola Clack of North Carolina and several nieces and nephews. Mel was preceded in death by his parents, Hunter Moss and Lutora Clack, son, Douglas Hunter Clack and daughter, Linda Carolyn Hernandez. Also preceded Mel in death were his brother Alvin Clack and sisters, Thelma Bullock and Mavis Spruill. A Celebration of Mel?s life will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 30, 2005 at Prescott United Methodist Church 505 W. Gurley St., Prescott. A private inurnment will be held at a later date. Family suggests donations be made in Mel?s name to Yavapai Center for the Blind, Mel Clack Building Fund, 440 North Washington Ave., Prescott, AZ  86301 or Prescott United Methodist Church Children Playground Fund, 505 W. Gurley St., Prescott, AZ 86303 or the Prescott Noon Lions Education Fund, or YRMC Hospice restricted fund, P.O. Box 26565, Prescott Valley, AZ 86312.