William Nicholas Meley passed peacefully after a brief illness, on Friday November 29 th 2024, surrounded by loving family, a week shy of his 90 th birthday. In his words, he was here and now has gone. He was born on December 8 th 1934 on the appropriately named Dearborn St, Brier Hill, Youngstown, Ohio. He was the second son of Nicholas and Margaret McKenna Meley. He was married to the love of his life Shirley Heistand Meley for 63 years until her passing in 2018.
Bill’s family moved often when he was young, before finally settling in Mountville in 1950. He was a 1953 graduate of Columbia High School and entered the Air Force in 1954. He retired from the US Postal Service in 1997. He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Columbia & was one of its first Extraordinary Ministers. He & his wife Shirley were devoted Pre-Cana counselors. Their social lives also included service to the church during fastnacht season and cooking for parish spaghetti dinners. Bill was also the oldest living Knight of Columbus in Columbia.
A talented cook, he cherished his Italian heritage and loved to make all the pizzas, breads, falagones, bracioles, meatballs, and pizzelles to share with his family. He also loved Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie, bean soup, and especially pork and sauerkraut. He viewed cooking and sharing meals as a link to tradition and family history. He loved passing down recipes to his children and grandchildren. “I don’t want this stuff to get lost,” he said more than once.
An avid amateur photographer, he took photos like they were going out of style, documenting all the milestones his family experienced, (often capturing his subjects in mid-bite). He was a passionate fan ofthe New York Yankees, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but he would tolerate the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. He was a proud booster of the Columbia Crimson Tide. From having grown-up in the shadows of the Youngstown Steel mills, he became a lifelong Democratand advocate for unions, and had a strong belief that unions make us strong. Bill inherited the gift of storytelling from listening to his father and elders tell their stories, and he was eloquent enough to be asked to give toasts at many family events.
His hobbies were watching British murder mysteries, discussing American history and current events, listening to 1950s doo-wop and crooners, and watching all genres of movies, especially with his granddaughter. He enjoyed engaging with family and friends on social media and took pride in being a tech-savvy octogenarian. And Bill was certainly not a pet person, not until a little three-legged cat named Manny came into his life and stole his heart.
Family was the most important thing in his life. He and Shirley were blessed with five children in six years. He leaves behind sons Nicholas (Christine), Anthony (Deborah), and daughters Kathleen, and Patricia. He loved his grandchildren immensely and spoiled them all: Amy (Ben), Dominic (Jess), Vincent, Margaret, and Elizabeth. His great-grandchildren brought him much joy: Caedan Meley and his parents Tina Palombo and Ben Kirn, and Julian and Gianna Meley. He also leaves behind two brothers, James (Jenni) and Patrick (Tina). Additionally, he leaves his many “favorite” nieces and a whole bunch of nephews. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Holly Mele, Carla Petroski, Corinne Ritz, and Christina Zeamer. He was predeceased by his wife Shirley, his son Gregory, his brothers Joseph and Laurence, and his beloved grandson Brendan. He was a father figure to three generations of Meleys and their friends, providing a perfect example of how to be a strong, loving, and gentle man.
And Bill was known to be an extremely generous man, always quick to ask if you needed anything, and quietly slipped a whole lot of $20s into the palms of his grandchildren & great-grandchildren. To Bill, love of family meant to nurture, provide, and protect. He is also survived by his goddaughter Angel Geltmacher Bozarth and his dear friend Sister Anna Cosgrave.
The family would like to thank all the LGH providers, particularly the nurses of the 5 Lime Trauma ICU who attended to our father. We also extend the warmest thank you possible to his very attentive primary care doctor, Dr. Thomas Coyne of Twin Rose, Columbia. Bill loved telling Dr. Coyne the latest joke he had heard, and Dr. Coyne took care of him anyway!
A Christian prayer service will be held at the Clyde W. Kraft Funeral Home, Inc. 519 Walnut St. Columbia PA on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Daniel Mitzal, officiating. Burial will follow in Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery. Family and friends may view on Saturday one-hour prior to the service. The family will host a luncheon after the service. Please omit flowers. Memorial contributions can be made in William’s name to the Brendan W. Meley Scholarship, Thaddeus Stevens Foundation, 750 East King St, Lancaster, PA 17602.
