Melvin King Neville |
| Posted 2021-05-24 by mhenderson |
| Published by Arizona Daily Sun on May 23, 2021 - Flagstaff, Arizona - Surrounded by family, Melvin King Neville, 82, passed away on March 31, 2021, at his home in Davis, CA. In a true testament to his character, Mel showed the same kindness and strength in his final days that epitomized his life. He is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Anna; brother Richard (Laura Lou); children - Lawrence, Sarah, Amy, Jesse, Roger, Annelise, and Gregory as well as Fatma; and 11 grandchildren. Born in Evanston, IL to Jessamine and Harvey Neville, Mel graduated from Tucson High School (AZ) in 1956, where he was awarded a National Merit Scholarship and won first place among Arizona high school seniors in the second annual state mathematics contest. Mel attended the California Institute of Technology and received a B.S. in Chemistry in 1960. He also obtained an M.S. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University and a M.S. in Computer Science from Loyola University. Mel was a professor of Anthropology at University of California, Davis and at Loyola University in Chicago and retired as a full professor in Computer Science from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in June 2004. During his early career, he did fieldwork on Rhesus and then Howler Monkeys and worked for the Pan American branch of the United Nations and spent time in Trinidad, Venezuela, Columbia, and Peru. While at NAU, he also guest taught at the Technological Institute of Nogales in Mexico. Mel was a dedicated and gifted teacher who continued to be contacted by former students throughout his life, especially in regards to his infamous Mars Course. A loving husband, dad, grandfather, and friend, and a skilled teacher and researcher, Mel will be remembered for living selflessly with honor, kindness, and compassion as well as his wonderfully dry sense of humor. A full obituary may be viewed at https://www.smith- funerals.com/obituary/Melvin-Neville. |
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