Obituary of Melvin Tilbury

Melvin Arthur Tilbury, age 89, of Denver, CO, died peacefully in his sleep Friday, February 4, 2010 at The Normandy Division of Life Quality Homes of Denver. He was born in St. Joseph, MO on July 26, 1920 to Dade John Tilbury and Hazel Elizabeth Tilbury. The family moved to Oklahoma and settled in Vinita in 1933. After graduating from Vinita High School he attended the University of Oklahoma where he majored in engineering and played trombone in the OU Marching Band. He was forced to drop out of college at the age of 19 when his father was killed in a traffic accident. He took over his father's job as a salesman for Wickham Meat Packing Co. in 1940, supporting his mother and two younger sisters. Mel was drafted into the Army in December of 1942 and was accepted into the Army Air Corps Cadet program. He became a pilot in B-24s and finished his military service as a copilot in B-29s. After World War II, he returned to his job with Wickham Packing Co. His first marriage was to Clara Jean Holden and they began raising their family in Vinita, OK. Mel was very active in the First Baptist Church of Vinita as a deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. He also sang in the church choir. He served on the Vinita Street Commission and was elected to the Vinita City Council. In 1962, the family moved to Sapulpa, OK. Mel was promoted to Sales Manager for Wickham Packing Co., a new position created especially for him. His responsibilities eventually were expanded to include personnel management and daily plant operations and he retired after 46 years service to the company. He became very active in the Sapulpa community through the local Rotary Club and he sang for many years with the Rotary Men of Note. He was a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Sapulpa and also taught Sunday school. For approximately 13 years he served as the head of the local chapter of Camp Fire Girls for the Sapulpa area. In 1982 he married Doris Smith Tilbury and moved to Tulsa. They enjoyed many years of travel together and Mel became an icon at Tulsa's Riverside Airport where he kept his beloved Cessna Cardinal. He served as a flight instructor and was a source of inspiration for other pilots. At Riverside Airport he donated many hours to the continuing restoration of the B-24 known as &quot;Diamond Lil,&quot; and on one occasion, piloted this antique aircraft. He continued to fly actively until the age of 86. Mel became an active member of Brookside Baptist Church and for many years taught an adult Sunday school class there. In 2005 he married Dolly Morris Tilbury. They both enjoyed dancing and spent practically every weekend kicking up their heels at various dance clubs in Tulsa. Following her untimely death in 2006, he moved to Burgundy House in Tulsa, then to Denver, CO in June of 2008 to be closer to his daughter, Judith Perrine. He resided in The Normandy Division of Life Quality Homes of Denver. Mel is survived by his children, Jack R. Tilbury, of Woodbridge, VA and his wife, Jean, Terri K. Burke of Roanoke, VA and her husband, Stephen and Judith L. Perrine, of Morrison, CO and her husband, Terry; his two sisters, Frankie Capocefalo, of Cross Lanes, WV and Joan Cherrington, of Williamsport, PA and her husband, Leon; his grandchildren, Jill Tilbury Camp, of Farmville, VA, Julie Tilbury Jones and Jennifer Tilbury Winters, of Woodbridge, VA, Joseph S. Burke, of Richmond, VA and Brian P. Burke, of Denver, CO; his great-grandchildren, Katelyn Nicole Burke and Courtney Lynn Burke of Richmond, VA and Jack Allen Camp of Farmville, VA. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends 6:00-8:00 PM Thursday, February 11th at Ninde Brookside Funeral Home, 3841 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK. Funeral service 1:00 PM Friday, February 12th at Brookside Baptist Church, 3615 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK followed by entombment at Green Hills Memorial Gardens, 400 East Teel Road, Sapulpa, OK. A &quot;missing man&quot; flyover by Mel's flying buddies is planned at that time. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Brookside Baptist Church at 3615 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74105. Ninde Brookside Chapel 918-742-5556.&nbsp; To make an online contribution simply click below: <span style="font-family: 'helvetica','sans-serif'; color: #721819; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'times new roman'; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-fareast-language: en-us; mso-bidi-language: ar-sa"><a href="http://www.epartnersingiving.com/melvinarthurtilbury" target="http://www.epartnersingiving.com/melvinarthurtilbury">http://www.epartnersingiving.com/melvinarthurtilbury</a></span>