Melvyn Charles Marshall

December 3, 1937 – November 11, 2023

On November 11th, we lost a husband, father, grand-father and great-grandfather. And one helluva human being. In the blink of an eye, Mel went from being his usual, vibrant, independent, talkative self, to comatose. No one could have predicted or prevented this. With no hope of independence, mobility or his engineer’s thinking capacity, the family had to make the difficult decision to have him removed from life support. He did not suffer; his passing was quick, peaceful and full of grace. But for those left behind, it is an unimaginable loss.

Mel was the eldest son of a trapper and inn-keepers daughter. His first year was spent living in a trapper’s cabin in northern Saskatchewan before his father moved the family to Alberta. As a railway employee, his dad moved the family to several Western Canada towns, finally calling Edson, Alberta home. Mel maintained many friendships from those Edson days at the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse. From these beginnings, Mel developed his sense of appreciation and gratitude for everything life offered. Nothing was taken for granted.

Mel graduated in 1960 from the University of Alberta with a degree in Civil Engineering. He accepted a job in Eastern Canada with Stelco; sales and steel designs were his forte. He was introduced to the concrete pipe and precast industry at this time. He also began work on his MBA at McMaster and McGill Universities, but was 3 courses short of graduation before the company transferred him back to Alberta. This training, though, would prove to be invaluable as later he would be in business for himself and offer business advice to others.

Ontario offered exciting opportunities. In 1969, Mel and friends started Erin Steel and Wire. In 1973, he was Sales and General Manager at Best Pipe. In 1976, he moved to Vancouver and became President of Davis Wire Canada. In 1980, he began his own company, Mel C. Marshall Industrial Consultants Inc. This proved to be his greatest achievement and he was still active in his company – consulting, teaching, networking, designing, collaborating, selling - until his very last moment.

The wire, concrete pipe and precast concrete industries excited him. Anyone who knew him, knows the love, enthusiasm and commitment to excellence he had for them. He connected with companies in Denmark, Germany, England and the USA to bring their products and technology to the North American market. He attended hundreds of meetings, tradeshows and committees over his lifetime. Mel taught thousands of folks in both Canada and the USA at his production schools, marketing seminars, standards reviews and plant certification courses. His work garnered many awards and accolades over the years from every concrete association in North America. He was named a Fellow of both CSA and ASTM Standards organizations – the highest award given by these groups.

Mel had many other passions: sudoku puzzles, crosswords, reading, traveling, running, dancing, hockey, boating, fishing, skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking and just being in nature. Over the last few years, he had to dial back on many of his activities due to an “electrical problem” in his heart. Although the Spirit still soared, the body didn’t keep up as well as it had. But as was his positive nature, he focused on what he could do instead of what he could not do.

Family and friends were important to Mel. He found ways to ensure we all knew he cared. His children (Braden with Deb; Melanie with Gary), grandchildren (Anthony; Emily; Wendy with Jon) and great-grandchildren (Linden; Marshall) brought him much joy. His “magic tricks” were always a hit with the younger ones. For over 50 years, his “Santa” was enjoyed by generations. Wonder no more where his sparkling eyes and dazzling smile came from – it was his Santa Magic at work.

Mel and Pat met in April 1984. One kiss sealed the deal; “… and they lived happily ever after”. Mel was a romantic; Pat was smitten with him. Their lives were full of love, laughter, adventure and tender moments. The decision to let him go was not easy – life without Mel is now quiet and empty. But memories – and there are many – will fill the void now left.

“There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone, their light remains.”

Please remember Mel this way – because this is really who he was.

Mel Marshall's Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday May 5, 2024 at 1pm - 3:30 pm(Pacific Time) at the Tsawwassen Springs Ballroom.

There is an option to join virtually via Zoom, should you not be able to attend in person.

Please follow this link for all the details: https://pp.events/melmarshall