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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
Melvin H. VanCuren, Jr.
September 11, 1939 - March 8, 2008
September 11, 1939 - March 8, 2008
PORTVILLE - Melvin H. VanCuren, Jr., of
1425 Yubadam Road died Saturday (March
8, 2008) in the Olean General Hospital after
a brief illness.
Born Sept. 11, 1939, in Olean, he was a
son of the late Melvin H. and Marjorie
Amsden VanCuren, Sr. On Aug. 26, 1961,
in Salamanca, he married the former
Ellyson "Ellie" Roberts, who survives.
Mr. VanCuren was a graduate of Portville
Central School, class of 1957, and the
University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy
in 1961. In high school, he played varsity
baseball and football and was an all-star
varsity lineman on Portville Central School's
1956 Alle-Catt championship football team.
He was also a member of the University of
Buffalo football team.
Mel and his brother, Charles, bought the
family-owned Portville Pharmacy in 1976
from their father, who had owned and
operated the pharmacy since 1944.
He was a charter member of the Portville
Lions Club, a member of Portville Lodge
579 F&AM, Portville United Methodist
Church, Portville Country Club and the
National Community Pharmacist's
Association.
An avid hunter and fisherman, he hunted
big game and fished in Alaska with his son,
Preston.
1425 Yubadam Road died Saturday (March
8, 2008) in the Olean General Hospital after
a brief illness.
Born Sept. 11, 1939, in Olean, he was a
son of the late Melvin H. and Marjorie
Amsden VanCuren, Sr. On Aug. 26, 1961,
in Salamanca, he married the former
Ellyson "Ellie" Roberts, who survives.
Mr. VanCuren was a graduate of Portville
Central School, class of 1957, and the
University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy
in 1961. In high school, he played varsity
baseball and football and was an all-star
varsity lineman on Portville Central School's
1956 Alle-Catt championship football team.
He was also a member of the University of
Buffalo football team.
Mel and his brother, Charles, bought the
family-owned Portville Pharmacy in 1976
from their father, who had owned and
operated the pharmacy since 1944.
He was a charter member of the Portville
Lions Club, a member of Portville Lodge
579 F&AM, Portville United Methodist
Church, Portville Country Club and the
National Community Pharmacist's
Association.
An avid hunter and fisherman, he hunted
big game and fished in Alaska with his son,
Preston.
Surviving besides his wife of 47 years are
a son, Preston (Wendy) VanCuren of
Kodiak, Alaska; two daughters, Valerie
Bigglestone of Plainfield, Vt., and Heather
(Jason) Bialek of Seattle, Wash.; eight
grandchildren, Levi VanCuren, serving
with the Marine Corps in Iraq, Gunnar
VanCuren and Madeline VanCuren, both
of Kodiak, William Bigglestone and Samuel
Bigglestone, both of Plainfield, Ariela
Bialek and Jett Bialek, both of Alki, Wash.,
and Alicia Edwards of North Carolina; a
great-grandson, Lucius Edwards of North
Carolina; two sisters, Evelyn Stark of
Montrose, Pa., and Marlene (Molly)
Ackerman of Monroeville, Ohio; and
several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was
predeceased by a brother, Charles O.
VanCuren, on Dec. 25, 2006.
Memorial visitation will be held in the
Guenther Funeral Home Inc., 51 S. main
St., Portville, on Thursday (March 13,
2008) from 10 a.m. to noon, at which
time a memorial service will be held. The
Rev. Matthew Worley, pastor of the
River's Edge United Methodist Church,
will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations
may be made to the University of Buffalo
School of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 900,
Buffalo, N. Y. 14226.
a son, Preston (Wendy) VanCuren of
Kodiak, Alaska; two daughters, Valerie
Bigglestone of Plainfield, Vt., and Heather
(Jason) Bialek of Seattle, Wash.; eight
grandchildren, Levi VanCuren, serving
with the Marine Corps in Iraq, Gunnar
VanCuren and Madeline VanCuren, both
of Kodiak, William Bigglestone and Samuel
Bigglestone, both of Plainfield, Ariela
Bialek and Jett Bialek, both of Alki, Wash.,
and Alicia Edwards of North Carolina; a
great-grandson, Lucius Edwards of North
Carolina; two sisters, Evelyn Stark of
Montrose, Pa., and Marlene (Molly)
Ackerman of Monroeville, Ohio; and
several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was
predeceased by a brother, Charles O.
VanCuren, on Dec. 25, 2006.
Memorial visitation will be held in the
Guenther Funeral Home Inc., 51 S. main
St., Portville, on Thursday (March 13,
2008) from 10 a.m. to noon, at which
time a memorial service will be held. The
Rev. Matthew Worley, pastor of the
River's Edge United Methodist Church,
will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations
may be made to the University of Buffalo
School of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 900,
Buffalo, N. Y. 14226.