On Saturday, 31 May 2014, Mel passed away peacefully at Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice Home with family by his side.

He was born in St. John, N.B. and also lived in Alberta with his parents finally settling in Vernon, B.C. He joined the Army, 3rd Division in 1940.

In 1941 he transferred to the RCAF and got his pilot’s wings. He was shipped out to Britain and was posted to 400 Squadron 2nd TAF. He flew various aircraft including P51 Mustangs and Hawker Typhoons. He saw action in the Dieppe Raid. Shot down during a night intruder operation, he bailed out over Normandy in April 1943. He was sheltered by several French families and eventually was captured by the Gestapo and shipped off to Germany where he spent time in Stalag Luft III (The POW camp of the Great Escape) More details of crash at this French Site.

After release at war’s end he returned to England, then home to Vernon where he married Teresa VanAntwerp. The family moved to Kamloops (Valleyview) in 1948.

He had many professions, finally ending up in the Real Estate business which lasted about 30 years. He was an Appraiser as well as an agent and was the founding president of the Kamloops Real Estate Board. He was a member of the Kamloops Rotary Club and a member of the Kamloops Golf & Country Club.

Mel dearly loved his ever expanding family and was extremely proud of them all. He was predeceased by his wife Terry (2009) his eldest daughter Janine (2003) and her husband Wally Wozniak (2007) Left to mourn are Mel’s two devoted daughters, Jacquie (Larry) Gathercole and Christine (Dale) Braithwaite. He had nine grandchildren, Debbie, Michael (Sandy) Tasha Wozniak, Sonja (Sarel) Marais, Robyn (Scott) Boehm, Shane (Rachel) Gathercole, Levi (Kara) Braithwaite, Lindsay (Robert) Duncan, and Joshua (Samantha) Braithwaite. Also surviving are eight great-grandchildren, Jessica, Maddox, Grace, Auden, Stevie, Jessa, Jozie, Henry & our latest addition Quincy. He had one great-great grandson, Billie.

No funeral by request. A memorial gathering will be announced later.

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