Mel Lamberson

Melvin E. Lamberson, 74

Melvin E. (Mel) Lamberson of Mt. Prospect, Ill., died November 23, 2012, at Midwest Palliative Care of Glenview, Ill. Mel Lamberson fought a terminal cancer diagnosis for three years. He was born November 30, 1938, in Lafayette to the late Eugene V. and Virginia L. (nee Walters) Lamberson. Mel was a 1957 graduate of West Lafayette High School where he was a four-year letter winner and co-captain in football and 4 year letter winner in track. He earned a BA degree in Business Administration from Ball State University in 1961, where he played football and was a Charter member Epsilon Omega Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Mel was a member of the American Legion. He joined the US Army and served two years at the Fort Sill Oklahoma Artillery Training Center. After being honorably discharged he returned to Lafayette and served three years in the US Army Indiana Reserve as Staff Sergeant.

He was employed as a financial representative at DeFouw Chevrolet and then joined the Lafayette-based National Home Acceptance Corporation in 1964. In the next fifteen years he managed branch offices of National Homes in Dallas, Memphis and in the Washington D.C. area before being transferred back to Lafayette. Mr. Lamberson then worked as a real estate appraiser for US Department of Housing and Urban Development and retired in 2000 as chief underwriter of the Illinois branch of HUD.

Mel is survived by his wife of 33 years, Carol Lamberson (nee Kornfeind) of Mt. Prospect, Ill.; daughter Lisa Lamberson of Fort Wayne; and a brother, Eugene A. Lamberson of Monticello. He is also survived by his stepsons, Michael Velasco and Thomas Velasco; and his sister in law Eileen Kornfeind.

Mel was an aficionado of the Civil War. He enjoyed reading and writing about the war and maintained a collection of Civil War Memorabilia. Mel was preceded in death by his father, mother; and a younger brother, Larry L. Lamberson. Mel was cremated and a previous service was held at the St. Alphonsus Church in Mt. Prospect, Ill.

Visitation will be from 10 till 11:30 a.m. Saturday, December 22, at the Soller-Baker West Lafayette Chapel, 1184 Sagamore Parkway West. A memorial service will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, at Soller-Baker West Lafayette Chapel with Reverend Phillip Klinger officiating and which will include family and friend's stories and remembering of Mel Lamberson. Burial will be at Grand View Cemetery at 12:15 p.m., with taps being played by the Indiana National Guard. Leave condolences at www.soller-baker.com.


Published in the Journal and Courier, December 12,2012

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