John Howard Melanson

John Howard Melanson, age 64, of Nebo, North Carolina, passed away on
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at Nebo, Deer Park Health and Rehabilitation Facility.
A native of Texas, John was born in the tiny, one-caution light, Jefferson
County town of Hamshire on June 2, 1959 to the late John “Johnny” Arthur
Melanson and the late Mildred Carolie Busby Melanson. He lived with his
family in five other states across the US until they settled in North Carolina in
1981. He is preceded in death, in 2021, by the youngest of his sisters, Ronda
Ann Melanson Branham, age 50.
John worked for over 20 years at Foothill Industries and spoke proudly that he
was “a working man” like his daddy. He loved getting on the van at his forever
Nebo Group Home to go to his job with his co-workers and staff he called “his
friends”. John’s Daddy would have been humbly thankful that the DDS family,
to include Mr. Ray Burleson and Ms. Brittany along with the group home
caretakers, Ms. Dianne Bennick, her husband and subsequently their daughter
Missy Duckworth, accepted and loved John like their own for over 25 years.
John was a member of Rocky Pass Free Will Baptist Church where he was his
happiest singing and praising the Lord. He called everyone he met “his friend”
and never thought of anyone as a stranger. He was a comical fella and loved
making people laugh with his silly faces and goofy smiles. As a younger man,
John was a great athlete and won over 25 first and second place medals
swimming and running track in the Special Olympics in Beaumont, Texas.
John's favorite activities were hiking up the mountains, bowling but especially
playing Putt-Putt where he would always be “the winner”!
John is survived in his passing by his sister, Donna Marie Melanson Cain, age
61, and nephew Dustin and niece Wendy in Texas; and sister, Rebeca Lynn
Melanson O'Rick, age 57, and nephew Cody in North Carolina.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 11:00 am

 at Rocky Pass Free Will Baptist Church with Pastor, Alan Sailors officiating.