Darrell Everett Melton, was born December 6, 1933, to William Everett Melton and Agnes Fay Mosier Melton, and was called "Home" to spend enternity with God and the Heavenly Hosts on November 15, 2023. Mr. Melton enjoyed a 25 year career with NASA where he received a patent for his Vacuum Pressure monitor, which was mission critical to the successful future of the Saturn booster rockets which would go on to assist the space capsule on its way to the Moon Landing in 1969. He reported directly to Werner Von Braun, the project manager for NASA in Huntsville, Alabama, retiring in 1981 at the age of 47. He later worked for GTE, designing pay telephones which utilized the push button technology to replace the rotary system. He was united in marriage to Dorothy "Dot" Bailey and her 9 year old daughter, Jeffie from a previous marriage on February 3, 1962. Their daughter, Cyntha Renee' came along in late October of the same year and their family was then complete. Darrell graduated from Richland High School in 1951 and would later graduate with a degree in Aerospace Engineering from MU in 1955 along with his ME degree also from Mizzu's College of Engineering in 1956. He was employed by NASA shortly after obtaining his degree where he worked for 25 years. He retired again from GTE before he left to design office buildings for physicians for a few years. His wife, "Dot" succumbed to cancer in 1996 before he became reacquainted with his current wife, Ruby E. Roberson at a class reunion, going on to marry Ruby in 1998. They were married 25 years until his death on November 15, 2023. Ruby has 2 grown daughters, Vicky Thomas and her husband, Gary and Cathy Epperson and her husband, Charlie, all of whom he loved dearly throughout the marriage. He was preceded in death by his sister, Wanda Sue Wilson and her husband, LeRoy. In addition, he leaves behind his wife Ruby; as well as his dughter, Cyntha Melton; a step-daughter, Jeffie Woodham and her husband Brannon; along with a grandson, Brannon David Woodham III. He leaves 2 great grandchildren, Abigail Woodham and Gavin Woodham.
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This may or may not be a cenotaph, since he was married to his 2nd wife 25 years.