Edward Melnyk

Edward Melnyk, age 79, of St. Augustine, and formerly of Lakeland, Fla., went home to be with the Lord on Jan. 20, 2015, at Brookdale Assisted Living Facility in St. Augustine, surrounded by his wife and family.
Ed was born and raised in Elk Point, Alberta, Canada. After completing his high school studies, Ed married his bride and sweetheart, Beatrice, then continued his secondary studies at the University of Alberta where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering. Upon graduation, and motivated by his adventurous spirit, he began his mining career high in the Andes Mountains in Cerro de Pasco, Peru, South America, where he mined copper deep underground. In 1967, he relocated to Tucson, Ariz., to broaden his career experience mining copper in an open-pit with Anaconda Copper Company. In 1974, Edward relocated to Lakeland, Fla., where he completed his career strip-mining phosphate with International Mineral and Chemical Corporation (IMC) where he retired after attaining the position of Florida Operation's Production Manager.
In 2012, he and his wife, Beatrice, moved to St. Augustine, where they have resided for the past three years. Throughout his adventurous life, Edward not only loved his family and job, but thoroughly enjoyed traveling, covering the entire United States by car, he and Beatrice also traveled extensively to Europe, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Canada. Edward is best remembered for loving Jesus, his Savior, and he was a longtime member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, Fla. In his spare time, his favorite hobbies were hunting deer, turkey and hogs, as well as deep sea fishing and golfing. Above all, Edward will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and he will be deeply missed.
A celebration of his life will take place 11 a.m. Saturday Jan. 31, 2015, at St. Johns Family Funeral Home. Flowers are gratefully declined and those wishing may make a contribution in his memory to AmVets or to the Wounded Warrior Project.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Beatrice I. Melnyk of St. Augustine; a daughter, Diana Justice, and her husband, Keith, of St. Augustine; sons, David E. Melnyk, and his wife, Marlowe, of Fellsmere, Fla., and Frank J. Melnyk, and his wife, Suzanne, of Mulberry, Fla.; a sister, Mary MacIntosh of Alberta, Canada; brothers, Onufer Melnyk, Gerald Melnyk, Tommy Melnyk and Boris Melnyk, all of Alberta, Canada; and seven grandchildren.
St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.