Melvin Harry Nelms

After a long courageous battle with lung cancer and COPD, our loved one Melvin Harry Nelms, 85, of Trafford, passed away Friday December 2, 2022 at home. He was born February 9, 1937 in Girard, OH, a son of the late Robert and Elizabeth (Bushong) Nelms. He is survived by his wife of 32 years Flora (Kunkle) Corl Nelms; his children Denise (Bill) Dollman of Irwin, Steve (Margy) Nelms of Trafford and Charles Nelms (companion Linda) of Irwin; 6 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; brothers Richard A. (Floralee) Nelms of Murrysville and Robert A. (Yvonne) Nelms of North Versailles; also nieces and nephews. Mel spent the majority of his working life as a production coordinator at Westinghouse Electric in East Pittsburgh and Trafford retiring in 1988 after 32 ½ years’ service. He also worked as an auto parts driver for Toona Auto Parts in Irwin and Valley Auto Parts in Turtle Creek. Mel was well known among train collectors being a lifetime member of the Train Collectors Association since 1964. He co-authored two volumes of “Lionel Trains, Standard of the World” and enjoyed collecting trains and attending train shows in his younger days. He bought, sold, and repaired many trains and was especially busy around the Christmas holiday. Mel also enjoyed working on and collecting automobiles from his early Packards and his red 1950 Oldsmobile to his 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible to which he had done a body-off restoration. Mel was a voracious reader mostly history, easily beginning a book and finishing it in one sitting, while remembering all the details with his photographic memory. He normally was known to be very quiet but he could educate you for hours on autos trains, and U.S. history. Mel enjoyed NASCAR racing and watched every Sunday until his favorite driver Dale Earnhart was killed. His joy was lost. Mel was never one for small talk. It was said that “He suffered fools easily”. He could be very blunt and told it like it was. He said what he meant and told you what he thought. His brusque demeanor belied a disarming and sarcastic sense of humor, but he was a social charmer. If you ever became his friend you were a friend forever. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the William Snyder Funeral Home, 521 Main Street, Irwin, 724-863-1200, where a funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday with Rev. Robert Green, officiating. Interment will follow in Union Cemetery. Those wishing may contribute to the Westmoreland County Food Bank or a charity of choice. For online condolences please visit www.snyderfuneralservices.com

Melvin Harry Nelms

February 9, 1937 - December 2, 2022