More detail on this person: Mel RUIZ 71, left
from his home in Oakmont, Santa Rosa for his next
adventure on February 25, 2014. Cancer from Agent
Orange was his vehicle. He is survived by his
soul-mate of 40 years, Kathy, and his mother,
Ethel Ruiz. He was predeceased by his step-son,
Tom Leader, and his father, Louis Ruiz. Mel was a
vibrant, energetic and creative person who will be
greatly missed by his many friends. Born July 9,
1942, and raised in Petaluma, he was proud to be a
fourth generation Californian. He was deeply
involved in scouting, achieving the exalted rank
of Eagle Scout. And it was in high school that he
developed his lifetime love of tennis. After
graduating from Petaluma High in 1960, he earned a
B.A. in Speech and Debate from U.C. Santa
Barbara. In college he was a member of Lambda
Chi fraternity and was a strong member of the
ROTC unit. Upon graduation, he entered the Army,
receiving helicopter pilot training and as a
Captain in the Medical Evacuation unit of the Army
Medical Corps, he flew over a hundred rescue
missions in Vietnam where he was awarded many
medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After leaving the service, he became part of
several business corporations including
Wienerschnitzel and Intel. Mel was particularly
proud of producing an entire manual on innovative
business procedures at a time when computers
were just coming into usage. He later moved into
the field of Human Resources with Drake Beem
Morin and assisted people in outplacement work -
the perfect place for a totally people man. When
Kathy and Mel moved to Oakmont, Mel dove into
retirement with typical energy. He quickly joined
the Tennis Club, enjoying the sport that he had
loved since junior high. He made many new friends
and competed in tournaments. It was Mel who
added tennis lessons to the Grandchildren's Camp
each summer, teaching the children the rules of
the game and good sportsmanship. His next
involvement was creating the Movies at Oakmont,
showing films every Monday night without charge.
Each evening started with Mel, often in costume,
telling the background of the film and its stars.
He was proud of the fact that during the five and
one-half years, over 10,000 people attended. Nine
years ago, Mel started the annual Veterans'
Parade, choosing a Grand Marshal from veterans
who had served their country well. Each year, the
Grand Marshal rode with Mel in his golf cart at
the head of the Parade with military music
blasting out into the neighborhoods. Hundreds of
cheering residents lined the streets and then
attended the program honoring veterans that was
held after the parade. When Mel joined the Kiwanis
Club of Oakmont, he hit the ground running and was
soon involved in many Kiwanis projects such as the
annual Pancake Breakfast and the many events for
the benefit of children in elementary through high
school. He and Kathy established the Kiwanis Club
of Oakmont Foundation Endowment in order to
ensure that these programs would continue into the
future. Mel and Kathy traveled worldwide, with
special interests in nature and photography. So
many of his outstanding pictures grace the walls
of their home. There will be a Memorial
Celebration of Mel's life at the Berger Center in
Oakmont at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 6th. In lieu
of flowers, donations to his memory may be mailed
to the Kiwanis Club of Oakmont Foundation
Endowment, P.O. Box 862, Kenwood, CA 95452.
Published Online in the Press Democrat from Mar.
13 to Mar. 14, 2014
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association