John Jack"" C. Melton

MELTON_John C. "Jack" Melton, passed away on July 18, 2009. Jack was born July 27, 1929 the son of John Graham and Elsie Ruth Briggs Melton in El Paso, Texas. In 1948 the family sold their farm near Ysleta and moved to La Pryor in 1951, he was called by his friends and neighbors to serve in the Korean War. He earned a commission from OCS at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and served for five months as an infantry platoon leader in the combat zone with the 65th Infantry Puerto-Rican Regiment at the 3rd Infantry Division. He was awarded the coveted Infantryman's Badge. While in the service, he married Midge Rinehart of Oak Grove, LA., they had four children; Cathy Hepler of Albuquerque, the twins, John Gregg, an M.D. in Eugene, Oregon, Fredric Taylor, D.D.S. of Wenatchee, WA, Bryan Kurt of Phoenix, Arizona; ten grandchildren; and three great grandchildren. After 20 years he and Midge divorced and he married Lou Mitchell. They divorced in 1997 and in 2000 he married Sallie Berkstresser of Carlsbad. Jack completed his pre-dental studies at University of Texas in Austin and earned a place on the Cum Laude honor roll while working full time as an orderly in a hospital. In 1961 he graduated with honors and moved to Las Cruces where he practiced for two years as an Associate with Dr. Otto Schaefer - opening his sole practice in 1963. In Las Cruces, he was very active in community affairs, United Fund, Mental Health, PTA, and Scouting. In his professional career, he was a member of the New Mexico Dental Association and was a member and past-president of the Dona Ana County Dental Society. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of General Denistry, and was elected to the American College of Dentists by virtue of his contributions to the community and his profession. He was appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council for Public Health Training at the National Institutes of Health, and was also an Adjunct Professor in the Health Science Department at NMSU. He liked to characterize himself as a preventive dentist, and developed a simplified, graphic, system for recording the signs of gum disease. His article about it was the feature article in the Nov-Dec issue of the Journal of General Dentistry in 1977. He presented award winning programs, and lectured about the system all over the United States, and also in Mexico, where his fluency in Spanish was an advantage. After closing his private practice in 1997, Dr. Melton practiced in the prisons at Hobbs, and all three prisons near Grants; the men's, the women's, and the Federal. In 2004, he retired at age 75, and began chemotherapy for chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, and under the excellent care of Dr. Clark Haskins and his staff at the New Mexico Cancer Center. He would like to express his belated gratitude to his wives, his assistants, and his patients for their support and assistance, especially Mrs. Berta Marin-Chaparro. Arrangements are entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services 4310 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124 505) 892-9920