Melvin R. Christopher

Melvin R. Christopher, 72, of Springvale, died on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at the H.D. Goodall Hospital in Sanford.Melvin was born on February 25, 1940 to Burnis and Alma (Tinsdelle) Christopher in Loveland, Colorado, where he grew up and attended local schools. He graduated in 1958 from Englewood High School. In 1962 he married Louise Beauregard and together they raised three children. Melvin served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam Conflict aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain and the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk.Melvin and his family moved to Sanford in 1979. He was employed for 19 years at Pratt & Whitney. He was a member of the Sanford Elks Lodge, the Springvale Knights of Columbus, the Mix and Mingles Square Dance Club and had been a former member of the VFW. He was a communicant of St. Therse of Lisieux Parish, Notre Dame Church in Springvale. Melvin could do virtually anything he wanted to do with his hands. He enjoyed doing woodworking, crewel work and working with leather. At one point he even built his own television which his family used for many years. He used his woodworking skills to make cradles for all of his granddaughters and wooden toys for his grandchildren. Melvin enjoyed camping and traveling to many different places to attend square dances and visit relatives. He and his wife would often take off on long drives with no particular destination. Melvin was a very outgoing man with many friends. He had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed telling jokes. He will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and grandfather and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.Melvin was predeceased by his daughter, Nadine Merrill.Surviving are his wife of 50 years, Louise Christopher of Springvale; two daughters, Monique Normandeau and her husband Roger of Springvale and Judy Coyle and her husband Chris of Springvale; his son-in-law Merle Merrill; nine grandchildren, Ryan Normandeau and his wife Emily, Amy Normandeau, Christopher Merrill, Amanda Merrill, Megan Sweet and her husband Gary, Nicholas Brochu, Rachel Normandeau, Audrey Brochu and Makenzie Coyle; five great grandchildren; four siblings, Ruby Kennedy of Loveland, CO, Millie Christopher of Kansas, Raymond Christopher and his wife Mary of Thornton, CO and Helen Espinoza and her husband David of Thornton, CO; a sister-in-law, Jacqueline Lainhart of Cumberland, RI; two brothers-in-law, Rene Beauregard and his wife Tulri and Denny Beauregard, all of North Carolina.Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Sunday, September 30th at the Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home, located at 580 Main Street in Springvale. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 1st at St. Therse of Lisieux Parish, Notre Dame Church, located on Payne Street in Springvale. Interment will follow at Notre Dame Cemetery in Springvale.Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Elks National Foundation, c/o the Sanford Elks, P.O. Box 624, Sanford, Maine 04073 or the American Cancer Society, New England Division, 1 Bowdoin Mill Island Suite 300, Topsham, Maine 04086.To leave a message of condolence for the family please click on the condolences tab to the left.