In Memoriam: H. Jack Melcher

H. Jack Melcher was born at Terminal, Utah, just west of Salt Lake City, on August 4, 1931. He passed away March 16, 2023.

H. Jack Melcher, Aug. 4, 1931 – March 16, 2023

Jack attended the University of Utah and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering majoring in Control Systems. Upon graduation, he promptly accepted a position with Hughes Aircraft Co. in Culver City, and was assigned to work on the Falcon Air-to-Air Missile.

The Army had other plans and immediately drafted him and sent him to Camp Gordon, Georgia to teach electronics at the Southeastern Signal School. Upon discharge, he resumed work at Hughes for a few years and then went to a new start-up company called Space Technology Laboratories. At STL, which later became TRW, he worked on a variety of programs including Pioneer, Apollo, and the Lunar Module Descent Engineer, among others.

While at TRW, he resumed his education at UCLA and received a Masters Degree in Engineering Management.

In the mid 1980s, Jack spent 19 months In Turin, Italy as a consultant for TRW where he worked with the Italian Space Agency on a Tethered Satellite for deployment from the shuttle. TRW sent approximately 10 families to Italy to work on the program.

Karen Money, his partner of 42 years, was able to join him for two August vacations, when Italy pretty much shuts down. Travel was a passion for Jack and Karen and they took advantage of his Italy assignment to travel the country. They also traveled to Canada, where Karen is from, as well as Niagara Falls, Rome, London, Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Florence, Barbados, the Grand Canyon and so many other trips around the world they’re difficult to count.

Jack closed out his career at TRW (now Northrop Grumman) after having spent many years on the Defense Support Program and on the “Star Wars” Neutral Particle Beam study program, which of course, was never fully funded.

He retired from TRW in 1992 and moved to Canyon Lake in 1993 and spent some of the best years of his life in the community. He was active in the Canyon Lake Lion’s Club after joining the club in 2001.

Jack enjoyed bike riding (100 century), water skiing, snow skiing, running and traveling.

He is survived by three children, Even Melcher, Dawn Beigel, and Crystal Fernando and five grandchildren, Jimmy Beigel, Eliana Beigel, Rebecca Fernando, Christopher Fernando and Gene Michael Fernando.

Jack’s Celebration of Life will be on Sunday, June 11 at the Canyon Lake Country Club and Golf Course. The family program will begin at 4:00 p.m.