Melvin Thomas Hyatt

Surrounded by his family, Melvin Thomas Hyatt, 89, left this world on January 19, 2011 in Logan, Utah. He was born to William and Edith Hyatt on November 20, 1921 at home in Salida, Colorado. Mel was the seventh of ten children. He attended schools in Salida, Colorado, graduating from Salida High School in 1939, where he served as Senior Class President. Following high school he entered Colorado State University and graduated in 1943, with a degree in Forestry. In 1942 he enlisted in the Marine Corp and served in the Pacific Theatre, including Guam, and Iwo Jima. After an honorable discharge from the Marines as a Captain in 1945, Mel began his profession as a forester with the U.S. Forest Service. In 1945 Mel was lined up on a blind date for the Forester’s Ball with the pretty red-headed sister of one of his classmates. Two years later he married the pretty red-head, Madeline Smith, on October 19, 1947. They were married in Fort Collins, Colorado and honeymooned in San Francisco, California. Immediately following their honeymoon they moved to the Indianola Ranger Station, 32 miles down the Salmon River from Salmon, Idaho, where Mel had his first assignment as an Assistant Ranger. During their 7 year stay at Indianola, they became the parents of one daughter and two sons, and Mel was also promoted to Ranger. In 1954, Mel was transferred to Freedom, Wyoming. During a 3 year stay in Freedom, another son was born to the family. In 1957, another promotion sent the Hyatt family to the Challis Idaho Forest Supervisor’s office. During a 6 year stay in Challis, another son joined the family. In 1964, Mel was promoted to the Forest Service Regional Office in Ogden, Utah, where the family lived for 10 years. In 1974, Mel accepted another final transfer to Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1979, Mel retired from the Forest Service with 37 years of service. He and Madeline then moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where they lived until May of 2010, when they moved to Logan, Utah to be near family.

During retirement, Mel and Madeline traveled to many places in the U.S., and also Canada, the British Isles, and Copenhagen, Denmark. They spent time during many winters visiting friends and playing golf in Borrego, California. They never missed attending reunions with their Forest Service family. Mel and Madeline were loyal Colorado State sports fans, holding season tickets to both football and basketball for many years.

Mel was preceded in death by his parents, six sisters, and two brothers. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Madeline, his daughter Pat (Dennis) Murray of Nibley, Utah, sons, Cliff (Audrey) of Anchorage, Alaska, Ken (Pat) of Challis, Idaho, Jim (Leland) of Evergreen, Colorado, and Jeff of Salida, Colorado. His also survived by seven grandchildren, Mark (Lisa) Murray, Eric (Misty) Murray, Trevor Hyatt, Tessa Hyatt, Jessica Singer, Chapman Hyatt, and Lachlan Hyatt. He has one great granddaughter Maylen Murray and another great grandchild due in May. He is also survived by one sister, Joan Armstrong of Arvada, Colorado.

Funeral services will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Collins, Colorado on January 28, 2011 at 1:30 P.M.. A Rosary service will be held at Bohlender Funeral Home in Fort Collins on January 27, 2011 at 7:00 P.M. Burial will take place at the Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins, under the direction of Bohlender Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, ( www.donate.michaeljfox.org ), Church Street Station, P.O. Box 780, New York, NY 10008-0780