Melvin J. Roseman

December 22, 1929 - June 25, 2014 Mel Roseman, a dedicated teacher and union activist died on June 25, 2014 after a brief struggle with cancer. Mel's life and career modeled the adage that you can take a teacher out of the classroom but you can't take teaching out of a teacher. A native Angeleno, he was a graduate of North Hollywood High and UCLA. Mel majored in Music and expressed a lifelong love of music through his support of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He earned his MA in English through a fellowship while teaching. Mel served two years military service in the Signal Corps in Austria during the Korean War and was a proud veteran's advocate for peace. A passionate defender of fair housing and equal opportunity, Mel and his wife Gladys supported the San Fernando Valley Fair Housing Council to combat discrimination in housing opportunities. Mel initially taught the developmentally disabled at Sutter JHS beginning in September 1956 and taught English at Polytechnic HS. He taught ESL at Birmingham HS until his retirement in 1992. He was active in the formation of the teacher's union, joining AFT Local 1021 his first month after his employment as a teacher. He walked the lines in several key strikes that solidified the formation of United Teachers of Los Angeles and key rights for teachers. He remained active in the union after retirement supporting the rights and contributions of retired teachers. Perhaps Mel's greatest contribution to his community was to educate teachers and others about using the Internet. An early missionary for Internet use, Mel gave individual instruction and held workshops, especially to help older adults benefit from the new technology. Mel was a founding staff member of the nonprofit L.A. Free-Net, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Mel provided technical support to LAFN and its users until shortly before his death. Mel is survived by his loving wife, Gladys, by his children Marcia, Barry, Barbara, and Sara Eve, by four grandchildren Jeremy, Ethan, Seth, and Ella, and by his sister Irene Radner. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank (www.lafoodbank.org).