Darrell Jeffrey Melcher

Darrell Jeffrey Melcher went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, August 31, 2024, following a two-week hospitalization. Known for his stoic nature, tender heart, and dry sense of humor, Darrell was a true gentleman. We are deeply grateful for his entire life and cherish the precious time we spent with him before he graduated to Heaven. Born on August 10, 1958, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Darrell was the first child of John Barry and Annabelle (née Sayek) Melcher. He graduated from Muhlenberg High School in Laureldale, Pennsylvania, in 1976. While there, he played baseball and excelled in football as a linebacker and center. He earned multiple honors including the state High School Superstar Award, the Reading Times Berks County All Star team, and selection for Coach & Athlete Magazine’s Prep All-America Football Program Yearbook. He attended Shippensburg State College before enlisting in the United States Air Force (USAF). Later, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Warner University. Darrell served in the USAF for 9 years, specializing in information technology, communications, avionics, and computer systems. He received medals for outstanding achievement (first oak leaf cluster) and meritorious service (second oak leaf cluster) and a commendation medal for meritorious service. His assignments included the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado, Sembach Air Base and Kapaun Air Station in Germany, and Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. He was honorably discharged in July 1989 with the rank of Staff Sergeant, motivated in part by his reluctance to endure another winter in Omaha. Following his military service, Darrell embarked on a 21-year career with Harris Corp., a defense contractor, accepting a position near White Sands, New Mexico, without having seen the job site. While living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, he met the love of his life at a singles’ Bible study. Cathy became his wife on August 18, 1991. Darrell had two sons during his first marriage: Joshua Daniel, born on August 4, 1981, and Jordan Davis, born on April 5, 1984. He adopted Cathy’s son from a previous marriage, Cameron Drew, and they welcomed their daughter, Lorena Kaitlin, on August 27, 1992. Together, they raised their family and relocated to Florida, Texas, and Virginia as job opportunities arose. Darrell valued God, family, faith, Notre Dame football, community service, and traveling the world with his wife. His favorite place was the Garden of Gethsemane in Israel. He also had an enduring love of history and British detective programs. Professionally, Darrell dedicated 30 years to the intelligence community, establishing governance policies, creating standard operating procedures for tracking global assets, and managing budget forecasting, procurement, and vendor relationships. He received numerous performance awards, including a team DoD CIO Annual Award for Cyber and IT Excellence. After retiring early in March 2018, Darrell and Cathy moved to Lake Holiday, a community outside of Winchester, VA. Darrell volunteered on various committees and served as vice president of the Lake Holiday Property Owners Association board of directors until July 2023. He applied his skills as a completer-finisher, program manager and financial analyst to oversee significant community improvements. He took particular pride in contributing to the creation of new walking trails and the early repayment of the Lake Holiday sanitary district tax, which had been established for the construction of the dam spillway. Darrell is survived by his wife of 33 years, Cathy Melcher; his mother, Annabelle Melcher; brothers Timothy (Sue), Steven, and Andrew Melcher; and children Joshua Melcher, Danielle Melcher (Nathaniel Sanchez), Cameron (Becky) Melcher, and Lorena (Matt) Russell. He was a beloved Opa to Noah (Maryah), Faith, Trinity, Jonah; Haylea, Haedyn, Jaxon, Kegan, Constance and Atticus; Christian and Liam; and John, Charley, and baby boy Melcher, who is due in December. He was preceded in death by his father, J. Barry Melcher, and his son, Jordan Melcher. The depth of Darrell’s love and support for his family and friends is beyond words. He was an exceptional son, brother, husband, father, Opa and friend. His compassion extended well beyond his family, as he became a surrogate father and grandfather to many, offering kindness, strength, and unwavering stability. Darrell’s unwavering faith in God and his generous heart forged lasting, cherished friendships, drawing people in and leaving a profound impact on their lives. A celebration of life service will be held on Sunday, September 22, at 2 p.m., preceded by a potluck meal at 12:30 p.m. at the Lake Holiday Community Clubhouse, 1045 Lakeview Dr, Cross Junction, VA 22625. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by September 18 by emailing celebratingdarrell58@gmail.com so that driver information can be entered into the community’s gate security system. You may also email memories about Darrell that you would like to share. Final internment with military honors will take place at a later date.

Darrell Jeffrey Melcher

August 10, 1958 - August 31, 2024