Clarence Melvin Painter

Clarence Melvin Painter, Jr., son of Clarence & Virginia Painter, passed away peacefully at his home on September 7, 2016. He was the beloved brother of Janeen Painter Cook; devoted father to Trace Painter, Emily Painter Davis, Jennifer Painter Feltes, and Michael Painter; loving grandfather to Shaun Painter, Alex Feltes, Ted Feltes, Christopher Davis, Gracie Painter, and Gideon Painter.

Mel was born at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, TX September 16, 1936, and was a lifelong resident of the Woodland Heights area. His father and mother were both lifelong Woodland Heights residents, and both preceded him in death. He attended Travis Elementary, Hogg Junior High, and graduated from John H. Reagan High School in January 1954. After a year attending the University of Texas, Mel joined the United States Navy in October 1955. While an Enlisted Man, Mel attended the US Naval Academy Prep School, and received a meritorious appointment to the United States Naval Academy from the Secretary of the Navy, and graduated as an Ensign USN in June 1961. He married Sandra Alice Wren upon graduation, and they had four children. Mel graduated from several Naval professional schools; the Naval Destroyer School in Newport, RI in 1963, and also received a post graduate Engineering degree from the US Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA in 1967. He served aboard the USS Fechteler DDR870, USS Hooper DE1026, and USS Chicago CG11. Mel also served as Naval Communications Systems Engineering at the US Naval Electronic Laboratory Center in San Diego, CA. He left the Navy in June 1971 as a LCDR after earning the Naval Achievement Medal w/Gold Star in lieu of a second award, and Vietnam Service Medal w/ three stars.

After leaving the Navy, Mel worked in Dallas for EDS, and in Houston for Shell Oil and Bariod. He moved overseas in 1974 for Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO), and worked in The Hague, Holland and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. After taking early retirement from ARAMCO in 1986, Mel established his own consulting firm and continued to work for multiple companies such as Phonoscope Inc. of Houston, TX, General Services Administration in Fort Worth, TX as Project Manager Capital Projects One, GE Aerospace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as Site Manager for the USAF Peace Shield Project, Lockheed Martin in Riyadh, Saudi, Arabia, Stone & Webster/Lucent International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as Construction Manager for the Saudi TEP 6/GM Project, Bechtel in San Francisco, CA as Construction Manager for the MSN Bay Area Fiber Optic zNetwork, IRG/USAID in Baghdad, Iraq as Telecommunications Sector Head, AIC LLC/USAID in Jerusalem, Israel as Project Manager of the Bani Naim Gulf Fresh Water System, and for AICI/USACE in Amman, Jordan as Project Manager of the Royal Jordan Army KSOTC. His last overseas project was Project Manager for AICI/Arcgirodon Cairo West Power Plant in Cairo, Egypt.

At the time of his death he was retired.

Mel was a faithful member of Norhill Church of Christ. He was a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, having been a Scout with Troop 30 of Houston, TX, ASM of Troop 72 in Houston, TX, and ASM of Troop 253 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He was also a lifelong supporter of Little League Baseball, having coached and managed teams in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Mel left active work as Chief Umpire of the Arabia Gulf Little League Organization.

Mel was also a life member of both American Legion Post 560, where he held several elected positions, and VFW Post 8905. He continued to support the Oaks Dads Club Little League Baseball Organization through the American Legion Post 560.

Visitation will be held Thursday, September 22, 2016, from 5-8 PM at Heights Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held the following morning at 1130 AM in the chapel of the funeral home. Military Honors will be rendered at Houston National Cemetery following the chapel service.

Arrangements under the direction of Heights Funeral Home, Houston, TX.