Melvyn Melsheimer

Melvyn (Mel) Melsheimer, 85, passed away October 1st at Virginia Beach General Hospital. Mel was born in Los Angeles but grew up in San Gabriel, CA. He was a star baseball player in high school and in college, playing on a Semi-Pro team during the summers. Mel graduated from Occidental College, where he met Sara, who would be his wife for 63 years. After an extended stint in the Army reserves during the Berlin Crisis, he returned to CA to marry Sara and earn his MBA from USC. He was then selected for a small group of Management Trainees at Pepsi Cola Company, where he was quickly promoted as manager of multiple departments, and ultimately became CFO of Pepsi Cola. What followed was a fascinatingly diverse career with multiple corporations across different industries. First was becoming COO of what was Arizona Colorado Land and Cattle Co in Phoenix, Arizona. During his 8 years there, Mel and the executive team restructured the business from being agribusiness based, to developing parts of their 1,000,000 acres as an Oil and Gas Co. named AZL Resources. Oil and Gas became a lifelong interest for Mel.
When AZL was sold to Tosco Corp, Mel moved his family back to CT and transitioned to a totally new industry, Dairies. He always was working with his financial skills, but relished the challenge of using those skills while learning a new business. While serving as CFO of Finevest Foods, he was responsible for reorganizing 2 of their dairies (PET brand) out of bankruptcy. The successor company was Dairy Holdings and Mel served as COO for 2 years. He then re-joined an old colleague in his Venture Capital business in New York City as President/COO/CFO, where he advised multiple portfolio companies. Upon retirement, he and 2 partners started another venture capital fund, focusing on Nanotechnology.
Perhaps Mel's greatest achievement after retiring to Virginia Beach, was a long fight back from paralysis caused by a back surgery, spending hundreds of hours on rehab and at the YMCA. He regained the ability to walk, with the assistance of canes. He was happiest while on his boat, taking his grandchildren on rides around Linkhorn Bay. Then sharing a good bottle of wine with family made a perfect day.
He leaves behind his wife, Sara, and 3 children: Heidi (Georg Knoth), Erich (Lisa), and Doug (Britt). Seven grandchildren are missing their Grampa: Antonia and Nick Knoth, Jack and Sammy Melsheimer, and Sofia, Cullen, and Eliza Melsheimer.
A Memorial service will be at a later date. Any donations may be made to the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.