WENDRICK, Melvin Francis

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 07/30/2010 Melvin Francis Wendrick of Pinetop and Apache Junction died in Show Low Sunday, July 18, 2010. He was born Feb. 8, 1930, to Margaret (Grabowski) and Francis Wendrick. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1959 and served 10 years in the Archdiocese of Detroit, at St. Raymond Church, St. Thomas in Ann Arbor, and Immaculata High School. Mr. Wendrick resigned from the active clerical ministry in 1969 to diversify his services to others. He entered a doctoral program, at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind. It was there that he met and married his wife, Mary. Subsequently, Mel Wendrick accepted a counseling position in the Calipatria Unified School District located in Calipatria, Calif. Mel Wendrick, after several years of serving the Calipatria students, was recruited by Imperial Valley Community College, Imperial, Calif. to develop and direct a program for students with disabilities. He held that post for 26 years. He was very active locally and statewide in promoting services to the disabled and served with distinction at Imperial Valley College. Soon after his retirement, the Disabled Students Program and Services Office at Imperial Valley College was renamed the Mel Wendrick Access Center. After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Pinetop. He volunteered at St. Francis Apache Mission in Whiteriver for a number of years before moving to Horizon Bay in Apache Junction. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Mary; his brother Douglas (Elaine) Wendrick of South Lyon, Mich.; nephew Paul (Colette) Wendrick of Bullhead City; nieces Wendy (Chris) Jones of Tustin, Calif.; Lori (Bob) Wagner of South Lyon, Mich.; numerous grandnephews and grandnieces, cousins, friends and colleagues. Mass of Christian burial will be offered in Saint Francis Church in Whiteriver Aug. 10, at 10 a.m. Father Eddie Fronske will preside. A reception in the church hall will follow. A memorial service will be held Oct. 18, at Imperial Valley College Amphitheatre in Imperial, Calif. at 2 p.m. Interment will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 20 at San Luis Rey Catholic Mission Church at Oceanside, Calif. Private cremation and arrangements are being handled by Owens-Livingston Mortuary of Show Low. In lieu of flowers, please send scholarship donations to Mel Wendrick Access Center, through the Imperial Valley College Foundation, P.O. Box 158, Imperial CA 92251.