Obituary: Peter R. Mellor, 94

Peter R. Mellor, 94, formerly of Barrington, and long time resident of the Village of Waterman Lake in Greenville, passed away peacefully on January 25, 2016. He was a career pilot in the Royal Air Force and the husband of the late Rosalind McLean Mellor.

Mr. Mellor was born in Neutral Bay, North Sydney, Australia in 1921, the son of the late R.W.H. Mellor of Gympie, Australia and Valentine (Rose) Mellor of Oxford, England. The family moved to Mrs. Mellor’s hometown of Oxford in 1925, where Mr. Mellor attended the Dragon School. He was a graduate of Mill Hill School in London and attended Exeter College at Oxford University before enlisting in the Royal Air Force in 1940. He trained at the #5 British Flight Training School at Riddle Field in Clewiston, Florida; upon returning to England, he served much of the war as a flight instructor. In 1944 he was appointed squadron commander in Bomber Command Squadron No. 635 Pathfinders. He completed 56 missions from 1944-45, and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.

Following the war, he served in transport command and volunteered for posting as an exchange pilot in America. While traveling to the US in 1948 aboard the Queen Mary, he met Rosalind McLean of Barrington, RI. They were married in 1950, residing first in Alabama and then at various air force bases in England and in Germany. Mr. Mellor retired from the RAF in 1967 and returned to Oxford, where he worked as a pilot for British Steel, retiring in 1975. Upon his second retirement, Mr. Mellor moved to join his family in Barrington, RI.

Mr. Mellor is survived by his children, Lesley Mellor of Goodyear, AZ; David Mellor and his wife Sally of Lincoln, RI; Karen Mellor of Barrington, RI; and the late Bryony North and her husband Russell of White River Junction, VT. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Andrew Mellor and his wife Kaitlyn of Medford, MA; and Carlton, Cassandra, Carolyn and Cayley North of White River Junction, VT. An avid railroad enthusiast and a gentleman fascinated by birds and life in general, Mr. Mellor will be missed by all, especially his second family at the Village.

The Mellor family gratefully thanks the staff of the Village of Waterman Lake and Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island for their kindness and care for Peter. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions to Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island are appreciated.

His funeral and visitation will be held Saturday January 30, 2016 from 2-5pm, with a service beginning at 3:30pm in the TUCKER-QUINN Funeral Chapel, 643 Putnam Ave. (Rt.44) Greenville. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations to Home & Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904 will be appreciated.