Promoted to Glory: Major Stan Melton

Major Stan Melton was Promoted To Glory on October 29, 2022, at the age of 78. At the time of his passing, he was being comforted by family members at ECU Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina.

Lewis Stanley Melton was born in Pitt County on June 3, 1944. He was the first son of Lewis Henry Melton and Unicy Mae "Tom" Hammond Melton.

Stan grew up in Greenville and graduated from Rose High School in 1962. As a teen, Stan attended youth councils, where he felt sure of God's call to serve as a Salvation Army Officer. He shared his excitement with his corps officers, Captains Earl and Edith Reagan. Ironically, he would eventually marry their daughter, Becky Reagan, 44 years later.

He entered the training college as a member of the Heroes Of The Faith Session, and there met his first wife, Cadet Carlene June Cox of West Virginia. In 1964, they were both commissioned with the rank of lieutenant and later were married. Together they served in appointments, both domestically and internationally: Oklahoma, Chile, Florida, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos Islands, Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Majors Stan and Carlene Melton retired in 2004, after 40 years of faithful service. Not long thereafter, Major Carlene was Promoted To Glory.

In 2006, Stan married Sergeant Becky, and they served post-retirement assignments in West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. They made their retirement home in Greenville and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Throughout his career, he was a member of service clubs Optimists and Rotary International. He once stated that "not sharing Christ as hope would be like having a life-saving device while watching someone in need go without."

Many people who knew Major Stan recall a warm smile that reached his twinkling blue eyes; as well as his leave-taking charge, "¡Pótese bien!" (Be good).

He is preceded in death by: parents Louie and Tom Melton; wife Major Carlene Cox Melton; son Lewis Stanley Melton, Jr.; and, brother Major Robert Melton.

He is survived by: wife Sergeant Rebecca Reagan Melton; daughter Christina (Bruce) Hansen; son Captain Carl (Jennifer) Melton; stepdaughter Ami (Norm) Brown; stepson Lee (Heather) Fuller; daughter-in-law Leslie Melton; ten grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to The Salvation Army in Conway, South Carolina. A private family ceremony will be held later in Myrtle Beach.

—Major Frank Duracher