Melvin Leopold Adler

Melvin Leopold Adler died Saturday, October 17, 2026 at the age of 92. He was born on February 14, 1934 in Savannah, Georgia to the late Sophia Cheves Thesmar and Melvin Leopold Adler. Mel moved to Atlanta for his senior year of high school and was a member of Northside High School’s first graduating class. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance degree. Mel was a proud member of the Chi Phi Fraternity and a lifelong Bulldog fan.

In 1956, Mel entered active duty in the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant. Mel was granted the aeronautical rating of pilot and particularly enjoyed flying single engine jets. He served as chief of the Financial Services Division at Westover Air Force Base and was honorably discharged as a captain.

Mel joined Sears, Roebuck, and Company in 1959 and held a series of corporate management positions over a nineteen year period. He was promoted to the Chicago home office as a senior marketing executive and then to Ft. Myers, Florida, where he was responsible for Sears operations in southwest Florida. Mel left Sears to become a corporate vice president with W.R. Grace & Co. and executive vice president of their retail group in Atlanta. He resigned from W. R. Grace in 1979 and retired to Atlanta as a private investor. Mel enjoyed many years as a member of the Piedmont Driving Club, Ocean Forest Club in Sea Island, Georgia and Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, North Carolina.

In addition to his parents, Mel was predeceased by his brother, Haskell Adler. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Bonnie Frazier Adler and her daughter, Mary Frazier Pickel (Pace). To his grandchildren, Mary Elizabeth Pickel, Robert Pace Pickel, Caroline Kent Pickel and Andrew Stone Pickel, he was their Pappy. Mel is also survived by his sister-in-law, Dorothy Adler, nephew Haskell Adler (Katie), niece Liza Kubik (Ken) and nephew Langdon Adler (Darcie). A graveside service will be held at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a contribution be made to the charity of your choice.