Larry Mellon (originally Malavsky) of Valley Village, Calif., died on Aug. 3 of cancer. He was 86.
A Milwaukee native, he graduated from Washington High School in 1942. His son Victor (Chavee Lerer) Mellon of Los Angeles said his father attended college in Milwaukee, but Victor didn’t know which college or whether he graduated.
He served in the U.S. Army in North Africa and Italy during World War II.
He met Sally Gertz of Akron, Ohio, because they had common relatives in Milwaukee. They married in 1952. She died in 2008.
He and his family lived in the Dominican Republic, Akron, and New Mexico before settling in the Los Angeles area. He worked in management, primarily in aerospace work and primarily for TRW Inc. According to his son, projects he supervised included the engine in the Apollo 13 spacecraft.
In California, he was a founding member of Shaarey Zedek Congregation and served as its gabbai. His son said he was most proud of his work with the synagogue’s Tehillim Club. He recently received the synagogue’s Keter Shem Tov award. He also helped found the Emek Hebrew Academy day school and the Valley Torah Center high school.
He also enjoyed jazz music, and “he went to the gym every day,” according to his son.
In addition to his son, he is survived by daughters Jody (Charles) Levy of Tarzana, Calif., and Pam (Eliot) Bieda of West Hills, Calif.; and eight grandchildren.
Rabbi Gil-Ezer Lerer officiated at the funeral on Aug. 4. Burial was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Hollywood, Calif.
The family would appreciate memorial contributions to the Shaarey Zedek Tehillim Club, 12800 Chandler Blvd., Valley Village, CA, 91607.
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