John Franklin Melichar, of Tucson, AZ died in his sleep on November 5, 2014. He was 73 years old.

John was born in Millport, NY, on September 13, 1941; the son of Barney and Ella Melichar. He has

one sister, Carolyn Soderman and brother-in-law, Gary, who reside in Lexington, KY. John

graduated from Horseheads High School and attended Hope College, where he met Janice Schulz,

who he married on April 24th, 1965. They lived in Stormville, NY where their two sons were born:

Michael, now living in San Francisco, CA and David residing in Bristol, VT. John was predeceased by

his parents.

John's career began at Guideposts in Carmel, NY, where he worked in Direct Mail Marketing from

1964 to 1979. He served as a corpsman in the US Navy from 1967 to 1969. In 1980 John started his

own business, Garden Fresh Co-op Service, a creative venture that provided fresh produce to

families on a weekly basis and supplied restaurants. He returned to publishing four years later

working for Zondervan Press in Grand Rapids, MI, and later for Christian Book Distributors in

Peabody, MA.

With a longing for the open spaces of the west, John moved to Arizona in 1990. John was a life-

long avid reader and known for his keen verbal skills. During his time in Arizona, he authored a, yet

unpublished, children's Bible story book and was employed as a critic for local Tucson newspapers.

John loved history and politics and enjoyed a good heated discussion of current or historical events.

His sense of humor and oratory talents were evident in skillfully told stories, jokes and limericks.

John enjoyed many friendships and found much pleasure in creative practical jokes.

A memorial service was held at the First Reformed Church in Fishkill on Nov. 29, 2014.

Donations in John's memory may be sent to Salvation Army Tucson, 1021 North 11th Ave.,

Tucson, AZ 85705