Victor R Meline Jr.

Victor, a full-blood Swede as he often referred to himself, was born in Julesburg, Colorado to his parents, Victor R. Meline Sr. and Minnie Thresa Anderberg Meline. He graduated from Julesburg High School and attended Wentworth Military Academy for two years and then attended and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. He was in the ROTC at CU as well. He made the hard decision to join the Army and was stationed in Korea for one year in the Army Engineer Corps.

Vic met the love of his life in Julesburg while in school. At a town dance, he had asked one of her friends to dance and was turned down. He then turned to Arvilla’s mother and asked if he could dance with Arvilla, who was fourteen at the time. They danced, dated for five years, and started a life-long romance! Vic and Arvilla married in June of 1953 and immediately moved to Virginia to begin his military service. While in Korea, the first of their four “half-breeds,” Vicki, was born and Vic first saw her when she was already six months old!

Shortly after his return from Korea, Vic took his first job in Canon City, Colorado. They were there for a short time and then moved to Greeley where they welcomed the rest of the half-breed Swede “babes,” Karna, Pamela, and Shawna. In 1967 the family relocated to Fort Collins where Vic partnered with Wayne Irelan to form M&I Engineering, spending the rest of his career bettering the lives of the Fort Collins and Northern Colorado communities.

Vic was very active in his community. He was a member of the Lions Club, Elks Club, Fort Collins City Council, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce and Faith Church. He was also active in the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He truly enjoyed people and especially being able to help at any time.

Vic and Arvilla were also very invested in their family and the interests of their girls. Weekends and vacations were often spent on ski trips to Steamboat or taking their boat to Lake McConaughy. The four daughters always had friends invited to accompany them on their excursions, so Vic was vastly outnumbered by multiple females for most of his life! Their daughters started bringing home boys as they experienced college, and Victor, being extremely open-minded, allowed each daughter to marry men that weren’t of the Swedish family stock – welcoming them into the fold as if they were his own anyway.

As he neared retirement, he began to feel the urge to travel, so he and Arvilla bought a substantial motor home (road barn as one of his son-in-law’s calls it) and began many adventures across the U.S., Mexico, and up through Canada to Alaska.

Victor passed at age 93 and is survived by his wife of 71 years, Arvilla – children, Vicki and Doug Lohrey, Karna and Casey Cropp, Pam and Tim Wilson, Shawna Phillips – grandchildren, Shanna and Luke Wright, Brian and Lyndsey Lohrey, Brandon Cropp, Kellen and Caitlyn Cropp, Ryan and Karlie Cropp, Jeremy Wilson, Molly Wilson, Tanner Wilson, Christopher and Dena Phillips – great grandchildren, Melanie, Gillian, Tobias, Malachi, Josiah, Karolina, Stetson and Oakley.

Victor would want to toast all family and friends as he always did in his Swedish tradition. He would also consistently say his farewells with the reminder to “Keep your nose clean.” He loved his family and was so grateful to God for every blessing.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Monday, September 9, 2024 at Allnutt Funeral Service, Drake Road Chapel with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Fort Collins Lions Foundation, 1101 Oakridge Drive, Ste C, Fort Collins, CO 80525.