Vivian Melvin

CHAPEL HILL - Vivian Melvin, age 92 died on December 26. She was born on Sept 3, 1924 to Halcott Hughes and Daisy Inscoe Williams. Vivian was born and raised in Durham NC. She loved her days at Durham High School and loved to play tennis there. As she shared her stories of being a young girl, and by the way a gorgeous young girl she loved to talk about her time working for the USO at Camp Butner. She would see the boys off to war and welcome them home upon their return. She felt like she was doing her part for the war effort! She did however receive a demerit for doing the jitterbug one night in the USO club with a soldier getting ready to go overseas. He slung her across the floor at the end of the dance and it did not go unnoticed. She could still recall his name. Vivian was the oldestsurviving member of the original Edgemont Baptist Church now Edgewood Baptist Church. Vivian worked as a medical transcriptionist in the Pediatric Resident's Office of Duke University Medical Center. She could spell anything and once traveled to a national spelling bee as a master speller. She retired from Duke in the early 1980s. Vivian has resided for the last 11 years after the death of her husband James "Daddy Jim at Carillon Assisted Living of Hillsborough The Carillon staff was part of our family. She enjoyed her years of great care there and having her room to watch her favorite TV shows, Mash, The News, Golden Girls and Andy Griffith. The Saturday night ritual was Lawrence Welk at 6 pm. She was in that room as the staff lovingly attended her last days. Vivian was taken out often to her favorite restaurants including Bullock's, Cracker Barrel and Red Lobster. She loved chicken and dumplings, flounder and shrimp. She also loved a good hot dog with her giant hotdog eating bib. Vivian was always concerned about her hair and lipstick. It was important for these two beauty items to be just right at all times. This gene was inherited by her daughter. Vivian was preceded in death by her husband James "Big Jim or Daddy Jim Melvin, her brothers Vernel Hughes Williams and Andrew Clark Williams. She is survived by a beautiful sweet blended family including Dr. Ron Casey and wife Barbara, LuAnne Latta and husband David, Shelia Blackley and husband Tommy Clifton Melvin and wife Faye, Rick Melvin and wife Angie and Connie Melvin. She is also survived by 6 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren with one more on the way. Friends may visit from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at Hall Wynne Funeral Service. A funeral service will be held 2:00PM, Thursday, December 29, 2016 in the Chapel of Hall Wynne Service. Pallbearers will be David Blackley, Christopher Sellers, Mark Wills, Brooks Andrews, Mike Wilson and Stuart Griffin. Pastor Johnny Hewett will officiate. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Memorial Gardens. Though we will miss her greatly we are happy in the fact that she is in the arms of her Lord and Savior and suffers no more. Online condolences: gentrynewell.wpengine.com, select obituaries.