Ron Melillo

Cochran Funeral Home and Crematory of Blairsville announces memorial services for Mr. Ron Melillo, age 69, of Blairsville, who passed away on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, in Union General Hospital in Blairsville.

When pressed for words to describe Ronald Calvin Melillo, or ‘PapaRon' as he was known by many, a handful of titles typical or expected of a man his age and nature come to mind; son, brother, uncle, cousin, husband, father, grandfather. He served and respected his parents with his every action, treated his wife Susan like a queen, and his daughters Michelle and Dena like princesses. He insured his three grandsons Kyle, Cason, and Cody (myself) were thoroughly spoiled rotten and not without him for a single Friday night of their childhood, each of which was filled with movies, video games, barn trips, chocolate milk, blow darts, and lawn mower rides.

These things were him, and though he excelled at them, reveled in the happiness those titles afforded him, and brightened the lives of all of his loved ones by filling those roles dutifully and mastering them to the day of his last breath, the most interesting words that describe ‘PapaRon' are those that are atypical, unexpected, and most defining of his character and enormous personality.

Ron was a farmer and animal lover, keeping all manner of critters big and small, going from table to table at restaurants after his meal collecting scraps for his Vietnamese pot-bellied pig Pasquale, cradling his chickens and petting them as if they were traditional family pets, raising quail, breeding worms and beetles to feed the birds in winter, incubating eggs in his garage, acting as midwife for a mama goat in his dog kennel (resulting in the twins, Bert and Ernie), adopting rescue puppies from shelters and streets (from the side of Otis Rd. in the case of his hound dog Otis, or from chains in the front of a neighborhood diner on his way in for lunch, as was the case with his yellow lab Jake.)

Ron was also a masterful businessman, salesman, and manager. Building his distribution company ‘MDC Packaging' from the bricks up alongside his wife Susan, and eventually employing both of his daughters and their families, making it a true family affair. He spearheaded MDC as CEO for 35 years before his well deserved retirement, and despite the accomplishment in that, even on the last day of operation, you could tell he was sad to leave the office.

He was a generous and patient teacher. His sisters, daughters, grandsons, and undoubtedly others were all constant beneficiaries of everything from life lessons to driving lessons (the highlight of which involved imagining an egg beneath the brake pedal, which must be gently squeezed as not to break its fragile shell.) He taught us business ethics and customer service, salesmanship, tying knots, tying ties, shaving, firearm safety (including proper firing, often at jugs, tin cans, homemade targets, sometimes even wilted jack-o-lanters.) He coached us through proper forklift operation, running MS Dos, making spreadsheets in Excel, shooting blow guns, throwing butter knives into trees, the proper way to wrangle chickens and guinea fowl, picking up quail, taping boxes (once along the seam and then L clips), loading Uhauls, using power tools, building chicken coops, making paracord bracelets (and paracord everything else), clipping doggie toenails, tending plants and gardening, building a good bonfire, extinguishing a good bonfire, tearing tape, using tape dispensers, fishing, rat hunting, eating sushi (sea urchin, raw quail egg on TOP), and many many more essential activities. Lastly, at least in my case, he taught me all about being a good husband, father, papa, and friend.

Ron served in the U.S. Navy, he was a veteran of the Vietnam war, he was a fireman, both full-time and again on a volunteer basis later in life with Fire Rescue Station 4 in Blairsville, GA. He was a Maytag repairman, a Sears appliance deliverer, a paper company salesman, a GRIT newspaper boy, a House of Bargains bag-boy, a Gideon, and about a thousand other things. He was a man of God, solid in his faith and spreading the word of Jesus Christ with his words, acts, and testimony from his salvation to his last days here on earth.

Days could be spent, passages upon passages written about Ron Melillo's life and impact on the world, but none of it would be enough. No amount of writing would do justice to the enormity of his impact on those around him; family, friends, and perfect strangers. Though to Papa there were no strangers, just friends he hadn't met yet. So as we celebrate his life, I urge you to remember that there is still life to celebrate, that Ron lives on, not only in Heaven, but also in the memories we have of him and the bits of him that rubbed off on all of us, and became parts of our lives.


Memorial services are scheduled for Saturday, February 18, 2016, at 1:00 p.m., to be held in the Chapel of Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville, with Pastor Doug Smith officiating. Memorial services will also be held in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 25, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., to be held at Promise Land Baptist Church, with Tommy Mallard officiating.

If you wish, memorial contributions may be made to your local hospice organization.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Cochran Funeral Home and Crematory of Blairsville. Please share your condolences and fond memories of Ron with his family on our website, cochranfuneralhomes.com.