Melvin Lyon

Dr. Melvin Lyon, born May 17, 1930 in Gardner, Massachusetts, died May 4th, 2014. He attended Colby College in Waterville Maine and was a lifelong supporter of Colby. He earned his Master Degree in Psychology and his Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology from Boston University, and completed a postdoctoral degree at University of Pennsylvania. Following that he began a long research and teaching career which spanned two continents, beginning at Stonybrook University, NY, moving to the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, the University of Arkansas Medical School, and finally retiring from the University of Southern California. Throughout his career he tackled difficult questions of experimental neuroscience, attempting to expand the understanding of challenging brain conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.

Mel was predeceased by his parents, Lillian and Richard Lyon, of Hubbardston, Massachusetts, and his first wife, Ruth Flagg Lyon, of Huntington New York. He leaves behind his wife, Nancy Lyon, of Santa Monica, California and his former wife Birgit Blatt Lyon. He also leaves five children, Katherine Lyon Daniel Ph.D., of Atlanta Georgia, Thomas Richard Lyon, M.D. of Brooklyn NY, Erik Blatt Lyon, M.Sc. of Hillerod, Denmark, Andreas Lyon of Santa Monica CA, Niels Bach, M.Sc. of Copenhagen, Denmark, and a stepdaughter Kirsten Bording Collins of Washington D.C. He also leaves eight grandchildren and seven chapters of an unfinished book. Mel loved travel, good food and great books, spirituality but not religion, music and humorous stories, and he will be greatly missed.

Services will be held at 2 PM Saturday May 10, 2014 at Joseph Gawler's sons, 5130 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington DC, 20016. Interment of ashes will take place in Hubbardston, Massachusetts at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Mel's name to the Memorial Fund at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica CA, where Mel received exceptional care over many years, or to a charity of your choice.