Melvin (Mel) Lajoie passed away peacefully on Thursday August 2, 2018. He is
survived by his wife Corine of 62 years, son Glenn (Linda) and son Wayne
(Audrey), four grandchildren, including Willie, Trent, Justin and Josien. Mel is also
survived by his sister Joy Adamski (Homerine), brother Ralph Lajoie along with
cousins, nieces and nephews throughout the US and overseas. He was preceded
in death by his parents Homer and Jeanne Lajoie and brother Gordon Lajoie.
Mel was born on June 3, 1928 in Van Buren, Maine. He recently celebrated his
90th birthday, which was a great milestone and honor for him. Mel spent his early
years in northern Maine and continued the family tradition as a potato farmer. He
was very proud of his French-Canadian heritage and family roots in the Saint John
Valley of northern Maine. Mel also served in the army during the Korean War,
stationed in Europe.
Mel and Corine were married on June 21, 1956. Their honeymoon involved a
driving trip to the west coast and they ended up making southern California their
home. Among Mel’s proudest achievements was his extensive career in
aerospace, as he was a great contributor to space exploration, including the
Mercury, Apollo and Space Shuttle missions.
For nearly 30 years, Mel enjoyed retirement in the community of Lake San
Marcos, focusing time on the golf course and local fishing spots, which included
occasional fishing trips to the Sierra’s, near Big Pine.
It is requested that in lieu of flowers, you may donate in Mel’s name to the
Escondido Human Society www.sdhumane.org or Hospice of the South Coast
www.hospiceofthesouthcoast.com
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Melvin Lajoie, please visit our floral store.