Melody O’Day Whitelock of Salisbury, MD. passed away at Peregrine Senior Living on Feb. 2, 2025. She was born on July 25,1930 to Joseph Alton O’Day and Anne Baker Culver O’Day in Cambridge, MD, grew up in Seaford, Delaware and graduated from Seaford High School in 1947.
She was an amazing athlete and student who excelled in field hockey, basketball, softball, and excellent swimmer with the butterfly stroke being her favorite. Some of her favorite days were spent in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and Ocean City, Maryland waiting tables at The Carlton Hotel and swimming in the ocean.
She attended Peninsula General Hospital School of Nursing from 1947 to 1951 receiving her R.N. degree and was awarded the Hospital Board Award for the highest average in practical nursing. She also affiliated at this time with the University of Maryland for one year. She practiced nursing at PGH in several departments, leaving in 1954 to work as a Community Health Nurse at the Wicomico County Health Department. She also took a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Salisbury State College and retired from the Health Department in 1988.
She remained active, spending time with family, volunteering, traveling, exercising, gardening and attending Church and Bible studies.
Melody was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, George William “Bill” Whitelock and a sister, Nancy Claire O’Day. She is survived by her children, Joseph Whitelock (Jane), Darryl Whitelock (Billie), Tracy Duvall (Richard) and Melody Shawn Whitelock; seven grandchildren, Stephen Whitelock (Heather), Ashley Whitelock (Mike Swanger), Joshua Whitelock (Amber-Lee), Heather W. Woodall (Dan), Tiffany Whitelock, Matthew Duvall and Ryan Duvall; eight great-grandchildren, Fisher Whitelock, William Swanger, Sullivan Swanger, Boone Whitelock, Emma Woodall, Hannah Woodall, Jackson “Jack” Woodall, Caleb Bauer, and one more expected this July; a nephew, Michael “Mike” Lankford and a niece, Michelle Lankford (Courtney Savage).
She lived a full and active life and loved her family who will remember her fondly and miss her dearly.
A Visitation will be held Friday from 6pm- 8pm at Bounds Funeral Home on East Main Street in Salisbury.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Melody to the American Lung Association, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW #1425 North, Washington, DC 20004.
Visit www.boundsfuneralhome.com to share stories and memories with the family.
