Tom Melody passes away

Tom Melody, long-time sports columnist  during his 42 years at the BJ, passed away Friday, March 15.



Tom Melody

Tom was among gifted West Virginians came to Ol’ Blue Walls, including former managing editor Scott Bosley, Bonnie Bolden, John S. Knight and yours truly.

Tom and Scott both attended Keyser High School in the eastern West Virgina panhandle. Both are in the Keyser HS Hall of Fame. Scott was the best of the 13 managing editors in my 43-year newspaper career. Scott lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

A guy from Keyser that I encountered this winter during my 3-month stay in The Villages, Florida remembered Tom because “there’s a Melody Music Store” in Keyser today.

Scott and wife Carol lived in Bethesda, Maryland, while he was executive director of the American Society of News Editors (1999-2009). Scott also was managing editor at the Detroit Free Press, editor of Knight Ridder Tribune Information Services, editor of The Journal of Commerce and publisher of the Post-Tribune in Gary, Ind.

Bonnie is married to retired BJ editor Bruce Winges.

Tom’s obituary:

Thomas J. Melody

WADSWORTH -- Thomas J. Melody, 81, of Wadsworth passed away Friday, March 15, 2019. He was born June 10, 1937 in Cumberland, Maryland to the late Joe and Bertha Melody.

Mr. Melody was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He was a gifted and talented journalist and had been a columnist and sports editor at the Akron Beacon Journal, retiring after 42 years with the paper.

When not working Tom enjoyed fly fishing, gardening and reading. He was a man of great wisdom, a gifted writer, a master storyteller with unmatched humor and wit, who fiercely loved his family.

He served his community and faith through the Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, Project Healing Waters, St. Vincent De-Paul Society and as a Eucharistic Minister. He will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved him.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Bob and Mike and sister, Janet Groves.

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Sharon; children, Joe of Lexington, Ky., Chris (Wendy) of Kingsland, Ga., Kathie (Jeff) Priest of Wadsworth, Matthew (Theresa) of Cincinnati and Mary (Rob) Yeiser of Verona, Wis.; 17 grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren; sister, Joanne (Buddy) Miller of Webster Springs, W. Va.; brother-in-law, Norman Groves and sisters-inlaw, Trina Melody and Judy Melody all of Keyser, W. Va. and Barbara Tenney of Fort Ashby, W. Va.; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Tom’s family will receive friends 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at the Hilliard-Rospert Funeral Home, 174 N. Lyman St., Wadsworth. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church Wadsworth, 272 Broad St., Wadsworth. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent De-Paul Society at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 260 Broad St., Wadsworth, OH 44281 or St. Jude Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105 , Source


Tom Melody, ex-sports editor, dies at 81

Former Beacon Journal reporter, columnist remembered as diligent writer, devoted family man

By Michael Beaven

Beacon Journal/Ohio.com

Thomas J. Melody brought wisdom, humor and top-notch storytelling skills to the Akron Beacon Journal newsroom for 42 years.

Melody served as a reporter, columnist and sports editor before retiring in 2000. His knowledge and views on baseball, basketball, football and other sports were respected, and his beats included covering the University of Akron and the Browns.

Melody died on Friday, March 15, at age 81. He was born on June 10, 1937, in Cumberland, Maryland, to the late Joe and Bertha Melody.

Melody lived in Wadsworth in recent years with his wife of 61 years, Sharon. The couple also previously lived in Akron and Norton with their five children.

“It was always a balancing act with our philosophy of coverage from the high schools to Akron, Kent and Ohio State to the Browns, the Cavaliers, the Indians, and we had the pro hockey team for a while too,” said Larry Pantages, a former writer and sports editor who worked at the Beacon Journal from 1972-2015.

“So, it was a question of putting our resources on what we thought were the best stories, and Tom was always involved with the stories that people wanted to read as a sports reporter, editor and a columnist.”

Pantages described Melody as “a great guy” and a “very devoted family man.”

Former Indians beat writer Sheldon Ocker, who worked at the Beacon Journal from 1967-2014, recalled Melody being “meticulous” when it came to writing stories and headlines.

“Tom was a really good editor and a really good writer,” Ocker said. “The Browns used to hate him because he had a little sarcasm in his stories and they didn’t like that. The Browns were kind of used to not being criticized for anything. ... Tom wrote interesting stories and he had certain phrases that he would use, one of which I stole. Whenever he didn’t like something with the front office, he would call them the ‘deep thinkers.’ ” Melody was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and enjoyed flyfishing, gardening and reading. He served with the Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, Project Healing Waters, St. Vincent DePaul Society and as a Eucharistic Minister.

“Tom was a gentleman and a journalist,” said former high school sports and UA athletics beat writer Tom Gaffney, who wrote for the Beacon Journal from 1986-2012. “He was classy all the way and great to work with. He was very easy to work with and very knowledgeable.”

Melody’s family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at the Hilliard-Rospert Funeral Home, 174 N. Lyman St., Wadsworth. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church Wadsworth, 272 Broad St., Wadsworth. Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-9963829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal. com.