Dr. Mark Alexander Melgard

Dr. Mark Alexander Melgard, 74, formerly of Hot Lake, died November 20, 1931, to Alexander and Ada Rumley Melgard at Hot Lake. The family moved to Portland during World War II and he graduated from Lincoln High School in 1949. He graduated from Reed College and the University of Oregon Medical School in 1958. He worked as a neurosurgeon for 30 years at Salem Memorial Hospital and served as chief of the Neurosurgical section and director of the radio-isotope department. He married Linda Hammond in 1963 and after a divorce married Cherie Havens in 1975. He was a member of the American Medical Association, the Oregon Medical Association, the Marion-Polk County Medical Society, the North Pacific Society of Neurology and Psychiatry, the American Board Neurological Surgery, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Harvey Cushing Society of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, held a fellowship in the American College of Surgeons, and was the founding president of the Oregon Neurosurgical Society. When he retired from his medical practice, he served as the medical director for the Workers Compensation Division of the Oregon Department of Consumer Business Services.

He enjoyed reading, traveling and hunting, especially in Africa. He rode and raised horses and owned a working ranch while maintaining his medical practice. He was known to be sharp of wit and temper, but under the rough exterior he was generous and caring. He was greatly respected.

Survivors include his wife; children and their spouses, Christopher and Benjamin Melgard of Salem and Marilee and Mark Figueroa of Los
Angeles; and two grandchildren.