Melvin Leroy Reed

Melvin Leroy Reed, age 96, passed peacefully on February 1, 2026, at his residence in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on October 28, 1929, to Mark Allyn and Mildred Hall Reed, he was the youngest of two boys.

After high school, Melvin attended Kalamazoo College followed by the University of Michigan Medical School. After completing his medical internship, he served two years as a Captain in the Air Force, based in Europe. After military service, he returned to Detroit, Michigan to complete his residency, eventually joining the faculty of Wayne State University to begin his lifelong career as an oncologist and educator.

Melvin greeted everyone with enthusiasm, a great smile and later in life, a fist bump and a hearty laugh. His life was filled with curiosity, inquisitiveness, and self-education followed by education of others who might inquire what new topic in which he was interested.

Sailing was one of his long-time passions. He and his wife Ursula spent many summers sailing the Great Lakes with a small fleet of other sailing friends, exploring the shorelines and islands surrounding Michigan. He loved to travel, whether to Hawaii for winters or on multiple cruises each year to various parts of the world. Their house was filled with many mementoes of these trips, but more so were the stories he brought back of the sights they had seen, cultures they’d experienced and people they met.

Melvin was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Ursula (2022) and daughter, Sheryl Hartley. Mel is survived by his son, John (Cindy Hill); his son-in-law, Tom Hartley Sr.; his grandchildren, Tom Jr. (Lindsay) Hartley and Christopher (Lana) Hartley; and five great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 2:30pm (Memorial Visitation 12:30pm) at Family Funeral Care, 2904 Orchard Lake Road, Keego Harbor.

Donations may be made in Melvin’s memory to the American Cancer Society.