Gary B. Melton, 68, of Lenox and Crozet, Virginia, died Sunday morning at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.
Born June 4, 1952, in Salisbury, North Carolina, the son of Harold and Marion Reeves Melton, he attended high school at Patrick Henry High in Roanoke, Virginia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 1973 with high distinction and earned his doctorate in psychology from Boston University.
Since 2012, Dr. Melton was employed as the associate director for community development and social policy at the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, professor of pediatrics, and professor of community and behavioral health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Melton has received distinguished contributions awards from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, the American Psychological Association (four times, a unique achievement), the American Psychological Foundation, and Prevent Child Abuse America, among other organizations. He was the author of more than 350 publications and had traveled in more than 40 countries. Dr. Melton was deeply committed to making the world a better place for children and families.
Survivors include wife Robin Kimbrough Melton and daughters Jennifer Melton (Rene) of Granite Quarry and Stephany Melton Hardison (Andy) of Aiken, South Carolina. He is survived by his mother, Marion Melton of Granite Quarry; brothers David Melton (Joy) of Atlanta, Georgia, and Scott Melton of Richmond, Virginia, and sister Nancy Hewitt of Franklin, Tennessee. He is also survived by his aunts and uncles, including Bobbie Finney and Anne and David Hoffman, all of Granite Quarry; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife, Julie Young.
A graveside service will be held Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. at Shiloh United Methodist Church in Granite Quarry. Burial will be at Shiloh. Memorial donations may be made to UNICEF USA or Save the Children. Memories may be shared at Roche Funeral Home in Lenox.
