Judith M. Melton's Obituary
On Wednesday February 8th, Dr Judith “Judy” M. Melton, a beloved Aunt and friend to many passed away. She was eighty-one years old. Born to Mary and Pat Melton, Judy graduated from LSU with a PhD in German. She spent a year in Munich learning the language and loving the people. She began her teaching career in 1969 at The University of Tulsa. In 1972, she took a teaching position at Clemon University. Over her thirty-five-year career there, she taught German, French, and Humanities courses. She chaired the Department of Languages and subsequently served as Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities. Judy’s publications included articles, one book-length translation, and an analytic study of the autobiographies of authors, scholars, and ordinary people who were emigres from the Nazis in the thirties and forties. The Face of Exile: Autobiographical Journeys was published in 1998.
Judy retired in December 2007 but continued to teach a course, “Literature & Arts of the Holocaust” for a few years. She was married to her very best friend and the love of her life, Jerry Griggs until his death in 2015. Judy was an avid reader and studied Ikebana, the art of Japanese Flower Arranging. Ikebana was a passion of Judy’s, and she became a qualified teacher. Judy was not only a distinguished professor and woman but a wonderful listener with a quick wit. She loved a cold diet coke and engaging conversation. Judy’s survived by her niece, Julie Melton Nations along with many great and great-great nieces and nephews as well as a multitude of loving friends.
A celebration of Judy’s life will be held at the Clemson University Emeritus College Center, 511 Westinghouse Road, Pendleton, SC 29670 on March 11, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
What’s your fondest memory of Judith?
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Share a story where Judith's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Judith you’ll never forget.
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