Melvin Theodore Feathers

1934 - 2025

Melvin Theodore Feathers, age 91 of Hancock, MA, passed away on February 1, 2025 following a sudden-onset unidentified illness. He was born on January 17, 1934 in Berlin, New York, the son of Douglas and Sarah (Sally) (Cronkwright) Feathers. He graduated in 1954 from Berlin Central High School. Following three years of service in the National Guard, he then served active duty from 1956 to 1958 in the U.S. Army.

Mel was a jack-of-all-trades person, but a great master of one-mechanic. From the age of 12, he was learning how to repair cars from his master mechanic father. That learning continued as he worked on military vehicles and received advanced schooling in the Army. For many years, he worked at Seyffer Ford in Pittsfield, regularly being sent to classes conducted by Ford Motor Co. In 1977, he bought into partnership at Green Valley Equipment in Hancock, where the repairs then involved farm equipment. Later, he opened his own Mel's Repair Shop and continued working on automobiles, lawn machinery and small engines. Well into his 80s, he was still being asked by people for advice on making repairs.

Mel could fix or build most anything. With guidance from an uncle, he built his own ranch house, and later a barn/shop, all while still being employed full time. When a horse trailer was needed to transport his children's horses to shows, he built one.

For nearly 30 years, Mel was active in the Hancock Volunteer Fire Department, being elected Captain and holding other offices several times, as well as Assistant Chief twice. Besides all the regular duties of every fireman, Mel also helped build the firehouse and climbed telephone poles to string the lines for the phone call system that was installed in every fireman's house through the town. During the brief period that it was active in town, he was a member of the Lions Club. For many years, Mel also served the town of Hancock as appointed Special Police. In addition, he held the office of Assessor and served on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

In 1958, Melvin and Marjorie Leab were married. Together they raised their three children. During their children's young teen years, when raising and showing cattle for 4H became an interest followed by horseback riding and showing, Mel and his wife became 4H leaders for several years.

Life was not all work and service for Mel. He loved to socialize, and easily made friends. In the early years, during his one-week annual vacations, he taught his family the joy of camping. He also did some serious hunting. From the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, snowmobiling was his recreational love. Nightly rides with his many Hancock friends, several distant snowmobiling trips to northern Vermont and even into Canada, teaching his children and wife to ride, and enjoying group family rides occupied many days and hours of fun. He joined the local Berkshire Snow Seekers Club in later years, and after retirement he took on the responsibility of caring for their newly purchased groomer and grooming the trails in Pittsfield State Forest. His grandchildren also learned to snowmobile under his tutelage.

Mel was a beautiful dancer. From teenage years, he attended weekly square dances, and it was at The Bridgeway dances that he and his future wife met. They never stopped dancing. In their fifties, as their type of square dancing was fading out, they were introduced to ballroom dancing by a friend and began learning a whole new style of dancing with the DeLugans and later Steve Dessereau in Pittsfield. Along with those lessons came frequent evenings of formal and informal dances and many new friends. This past New Years Eve they were still out dancing all evening with friends.

In 2008, Mel and Marge attended an African drumming class and Mel became hooked on drumming. They continued weekly classes until his sudden illness, and performed with teacher Aimee Gelinas and their group, the Berkshire Rhythm Keepers, several times during each summer. Wanting to share that love of drumming, the two of them began teaching weekly drumming classes to fifth and sixth graders at the Hancock School and have continued that teaching for the past 15 years.

Family was everything for Mel, and he devoted his life to caring for, teaching, and enjoying spending time with those he has now left behind. He is survived by his wife Marjorie; son Stephen (Sara), daughter Susan, son Neil; brother Lawrence, and grandchildren Devin, Evelyn and Stephen Feathers. He also leaves step-granddaughters Brigid Carhart and Danielle Decatur (Karl) and their children, Colin, Liam, and Quinn. He was predeceased by his parents and brother Douglas.

Friends are invited to visit at the Hall & Higgins Funeral Home, 457-NY Route 43, Stephentown, NY on Thursday, February 13, 2025 from 2 PM-4PM and 6PM-8PM.

A funeral service will be held in the Stephentown Federated Church, 1513 Garfield Road, Stephentown, NY on Friday, February 14, 2025 at 3 PM. A burial service in Hancock Cemetery will follow in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hancock Volunteer Fire Department or Stephentown Federated Church in Mel's memory may be sent in care of Hall & Higgins Funeral Home, P.O. Box 15, Stephentown, NY 12168.

Visit www.parkerbrosmemorial.com to leave a message of condolence and for driving directions.