Melvin Louis Joseph was born May 12, 1937. Son of Mildred Graves and Barnard Magnusson and step-son of Joe Warren and George Joseph, “Mel” spent his childhood in San Francisco along with his brother, Rodney Warren. He graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1959 majoring in Accounting. He attended Boot Camp with the US Army at Fort Ord in 1960 and later transferred to serving in the US Coast Guard.

Mel had fond memories of waterskiing around San Francisco Bay and Lake Berryessa. He owned his own Tolley Craft runabout by the age of 20 and would soon spend his first date with his future wife, Sherry, out waterskiing with friends. They were married at Big Sir August 20, 1960.

Mel took a job with the IRS in 1959. He and Sherry first settled in San Jose where their sons were both born. Mel later transferred with his family to Washington state where their two daughters were born. First in Yakima, the family’s final move was to Bellevue in 1970. Mel would work his way up to Division Chief and Chief of Investigations for the West Coast including Hawaii and Alaska. He traveled a great deal with his job and enjoyed traveling on vacation. One of his favorite places was Lake Chelan. He shared his love for waterskiing with his kids and always had a boat for the family to enjoy.

Mel was able to buy a home in Chelan close to his retirement age. He worked for the IRS for over 42 years. At his retirement party in 2001, it was said that if a name were to be in the dictionary next to the word integrity, it would be Melvin Joseph. Melvin was a role model for his children and highly respected in his work. He took on challenges as a manager with fairness and consistency.

After retirement, Mel accepted a new role in his work. He took a contract in American Samoa as the Tax Manager for the territory. Mel took great pride in recovering millions of dollars for the island and leading the office through difficult situations. Mel worked in American Samoa for 14 years before fully retiring in Chelan for the end of his days.

Mel was content to sit in the sun and read a book. He was an avid reader and kept his mind sharp until the end. He was a provider for his family. He was honest, good, and kind. He will be remembered forever by those who love him as steadfast, loyal, and true to all he held dear. He is survived by his wife, Sherry, four children, Brian, Douglas, Linda, and Kristan. Mel is also survived by his grandchildren, Jack and Max, Zachary and Lillie, Kastlie, Samantha, Derek, and Tiffanie along with Tiffanie’s three children, Avery, Archer, and Anabelle. 

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