Mel was such a good friend to my father and to our whole family… his willingness to help will always remain with us. I am so thankful to him for all that he has done for our family. 

We will miss you Mel! Praying that you rest in peace! Know that you make a difference! 

Arif Amlani

When you lose the presence in your life of someone as dynamic and impactful as Mel, you begin to realize how much of him has become a part of you - how much your own perspective has been enhanced by knowing his - how much your own creativity and sense of possibility have been awakened and enlarged by sharing life with him.  

My heart goes out to all of you for the loss of Mel's amazing presence, love, humor, curiosity and creativity, and I hope that all he's left behind within you and all who knew him brings a smile when you think of what having him in the room was like.

The loss of his life will always felt, but the joy of the core of his being will always ripple out into the present and the future. 

MEL-THE YOUNGEST/ MEL THE “BIGGEST”!

By Sr. Manisha Celine Gonsalves, 

Melroy Pereira -- the youngest of the Pereira siblings -- was the “biggest” when he married into our Gonsalves family, both in age and height, as compared to my siblings! I was present with my dear mother when Mel visited us in our cozy home in Mahim, Mumbai, for the first time to meet his beloved to-be, Carmen. Being a nun, I had to return to my convent soon after. So I missed all the juicy events in between till I heard of their wedding planned for 1st November 1980 at St. Stephen’s Church, Mumbai. I was privileged to accompany on the organ, our large family choir of uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, etc. at their wedding Mass and later at the reception, to strike the chord for their first waltz together! Having known Mel for 46 years I would like to address him directly through this short obituary. It is like a Psalm of Thanksgiving that wells up in my heart.

Dearest Mel,

Your vivacious presence with us leaves vivid memories that make us smile as well as cry when we know we will not see you again! I thank you for just being YOU-unique and true to yourself! Your wit, the true stories that you regaled us with, your sense of fun and laughter kept the party spirit alive when we met- there was never a dull moment when you were around! I recall the zest with which you would get a barbeque going, bringing all your creativity and culinary skills to the fore. How lovely were the musical evenings when Carmen and I could share the piano through spontaneous duets, with you accompanying us on the violin. Great was our surprise when you took to the piano too and learnt even some classical pieces like ‘Moonlight Sonata’ under Carmen’ s tutelage just by ear, without the notation! You even composed a beautiful funeral song based on a statement my Mum had made at my brother’s untimely death, which was then sung at Carmen’s funeral- Your Will be done! Thank you for planning every visit of mine to LA with great care to make sure I enjoyed myself, did some sight-seeing- Disneyland included in my earlier days, and an outdoor musical evening or a special opera to satisfy my musical acumen, our visit to Las Vegas at the climax!

After Andrea and Michael joined our family you treated me as one of the immediate family in our outings together, in our praying together daily at home, our daily Mass whenever possible, our sharing at different levels,,,how can I ever forget those warm, outstanding experiences in my life! And, when my Mum needed special care in her old age, you and Carmen went out of your way to do the needful… the same when Carmen was going through the ordeals of treatment for cancer, you spared no effort to give her the best until her death and her memorable funeral.

I could go on and on my dearest, one-and-only brother- in-law…but time and space do not permit that. I will miss you sorely but I take consolation in the fact that your earthly sufferings especially of the past 2 years have now come to an end. Rest in eternal Peace my dearest Mel, you live on in my memories and in my heart always!

With much love, affection and immense gratitude for your appreciation of me,

Manisha Celine Gonsalves (your loving sister-in -law)

Au Revoir, dear Melroy!  ... By Francis Gonsalves, SJ

Melroy has left us for his heavenly abode. Sad. But, as philosopher Gabriel Marcel says, “The lover can say to the beloved, ‘You shall not die’!” No, Melroy is not dead. He lives. He lives on in the hearts of us all—family, friends, well-wishers, and all those who knew and loved him. And, of course, he lives in that heaven of which St Paul writes: “Eyes have not seen, nor ears have heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9). Melroy loved God deeply. He loved us all, too.

Melroy’s entry into the Gonsalves-Monteiro-Pereira clan is spectacular; and for the religiously inclined, miraculous! My dad and mum were instrumental in uniting CAR-MEL (Carmen-and-Melroy) who were always in communion in their ups and downs, joys and sorrows. In 1980, a miraculous downpour in Mumbai caused Mel, mum and dad to be stranded under the shelter of a bus-stop. For Mel, that downpour at the bus-stop was a stopover that transported him into the heart of Carmen and into the hearts of us all, his family members. Andrea and Mikey soon became part of this lively, lovely, loving family. Later, Allison and Lia, too, were embraced with the same deep love and concern that Mel had for his near and dear ones.

In a family where many cousins claim to be ‘short and sweet’, Melroy towered over everyone. He was tall in stature—not only in height but also in the depth of his love for Jesus and in the breadth of his love for people. He reached out to the poorest of poor, whether raising funds for cousin Dr. Nandita’s Sethu project in Goa—that catered to children with special needs—or diverting donations to Radhanpur in Gujarat for brother-in-law Jesuit Prasad’s missionary work among indigenous peoples.

As a duck takes to water, Mel could enter the hearts and homes of almost anyone and everyone. Miele-roy—Italian, for ‘honey-king’—I would often call him, tongue-in-cheek; for his talk was almost always as sweet as honey. But, try cheating or bullying Melroy or anyone he loved, and Mel’s honey would become bitter gourd (karela, in India).

I remember two instances when I was with him: (a) Someone cheated me of a sum of money that was due to me; and, (b) an airline official messed up my air-ticket to Mumbai. Furious, Melroy picked up his phone and said to the first guy, “You must go back to school and brush up your Math!” The unpaid amount was promptly paid to me!

Then, Melroy told the airline employee, “You’re bullying my cousin just because he is a quiet priest!” Taken aback, she apologetically righted the wrong. He then asked, “What’s your name?” She replied, “Angela!” Mel retorted, “I knew you were an ‘Angel’ since you helped us so fast!” The woman smiled.

‘Insurance’ was Melroy’s forte. He could sell refrigerators to Eskimos or convince the British to carry coal to Newcastle. But beyond any insurance, he was ready to pay a premium for what music and drama gifted him. He enjoyed playing the violin with me, and others, though I confess he was better playing second fiddle than setting the tune.

I can never forget that incident Mel narrated to me—fact or fiction? I know not. Anyways, apparently, he once confidently played ‘When Irish Eyes are Smiling...’ on the violin amidst a group of people mostly unknown to him. He said, “I saw a pretty maiden with tears in her eyes… Proud and happy, I ventured to ask her, “Are you Irish?” She replied, “No, I’m a violinist!”

Most of us leave something unfinished as we cross over to the other shore… For Mel, it’s probably a drama-opera that he composed, music et al… He sang it along the way to our beloved cousin, Sunita’s house in San Diego… “Bravo!” said I, patting Mel’s back. I added, “You must get it published or staged somewhere, sometime, somehow.” He replied, “Sure! I am waiting for the right time…...”

Miele-Roy, Honey-King, you have now reached that Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. And, obviously, rocking and rolling with music, dance and drama, too… Our Pereira-Gonsalves-Monteiro family members and friends who have passed into eternity are surely breaking out into a hundred harmonious voices. Here in India, I wipe away my tears … Now, not because I am a violinist…but because I hope and pray that someday, sometime, somewhere we will all jam up together—always AMDG, for the greater glory of God! Adios, Au revoir, Honey-King, till we meet again!

*****

MEL or Meloo as he called himself, is one of the most gregarious and lovable persons who entered our family through marriage to our cousin Carmen. Right from the start he carved a niche in the hearts of all of the Monteiro-Gonsalves family by his loving and jolly nature. He made each one of us feel special.

With me in the beginning he pulled my leg a lot, always kidding me that he had found a suitable match for me with some young man, whose heart I would be likely to break if I rejected him. One such young man he introduced me to was in the US and he later he became a Jesuit, so Mel said it’s because I “broke his heart”.

However, when I visited him and Carmen in LA in 1983, they were the first persons I shared my vocation with, and Mel encouraged me to go ahead, as he felt that this calling was meaningful and relevant. He told me he felt proud of me for having taken this decision.

Their decision to start a family with their two sweet kids Andrea and Michael was also something that spoke of Mel’s loving and generous nature. He then plunged into being a father, caring and providing as best he could, with his limited resources and all the circumstances that this decision meant for him and Carmen.

Talking about generosity, Mel was generous to a fault. Big in size and big in heart. He gave of himself generously to others and shared his time, money and talents with all those who he came in touch with, endearing himself to one and all.

Later, when his beloved Carmen passed away, he would often call and we would talk for a long while, sharing his feelings of loss with me. We became close and he confided much with me on many occasions and constantly asked for prayers.

It was then that Allison came into his life and he found love, companionship and a new beginning. He didn’t want to break ties with our family. So, he visited India with Allison and Lia so that we could get to know them and bond with them and continue being an extended family. He wanted to visit India again, but illness prevented that and eventually he was not able to come for the Monteiro family reunion in 2024.

That was Mel. Lovable and caring to the end. I feel deeply grateful for his life and the loving relationship that we shared as cousins and as friends.

Goodbye darling cousin, you have fought the good fight and completed your sojourn on earth with great joie de vivre. I know you will fill heaven with your laughter and your jokes (clean ones now). You have gone ahead to the embrace of our Beloved Lord. May you rejoice in the loving company of all who have been born to new life and will be there to welcome and receive you into eternal life. Amen.

Mel "the Lionhearted" was a truly unique soul, and a cousin I will never forget. His compassion, humor, and natural largesse extended to everyone he met. I always knew a phone call from Mel would end in laughter, as he never failed to close a conversation with a joke. He held a very special place in my daughter Anjali's heart and was a true favorite of hers.

Mel was a man of extraordinary gifts—musically, artistically, and literarily—even going so far as to produce his own musical. I will always cherish the "Happy Birthday" serenades from Mel and Carmen, with Carmen as the virtuoso on the grand piano. I have so many happy memories of the warmth and hospitality shared by "Team Mel and Carmen" and later, "Team Mel and Allison."

Our deepest and most loving condolences go out to Allison, Andrea, Michael, and Lea on the loss of a beloved husband and father. May God grant you peace and strength in the months ahead, and may Mel’s soul rest in eternal peace in the arms of our loving Father.