Ralph Bates Melick

Ralph Bates Melick, 86, passed away on November 12, 2025. Ralph was born on May 7, 1939, to Marie (nee Bates) and William Melick, and grew up in Springfield, NJ. Ralph met the love of his life, Patricia (nee Hall), at their alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, and they were married shortly thereafter.

He served in a variety of roles in the commercial interior design field. He was most proud of his twenty year entrepreneurial collaboration with Sam Lear, Lear/Melick Associates. More important than creating a successful company, the two partners became lifelong friends.

Ralph was the consummate salesperson, befriending everyone he met with his outgoing personality and friendly demeanor, consistent with his world view that positive relationships were of paramount importance. He loved music and played his saxophone in amateur “big bands” long into his retirement. He and Pat were avid and savvy art collectors, and he supported the arts through the Leepa-Rattner Museum where he served on the Board of Directors for seven years. Golf was a passion for him, and he leveraged it as a mechanism for improving outcomes for disadvantaged youth by serving as a VIP Volunteer for eight years for the Chi Chi Rodriquez Academy.

There was nothing more important to Ralph than his family. Remaining are his beloved wife, Pat Melick; his sister, Susan Jensen; his four children, Anne Brumbaugh (Dave), Greg Melick (Heather), Sarah Freeman, and Lauren FitzGerald (Tim); his ten grand children, Jocelyn Brumbaugh (Austin Archer), Michael Melick, Jack Melick (Apoorva Vallampati), William Melick, Logan Melick, Sam Melick, Kyle Freeman, Kohlman Freeman, Max FitzGerald, and Colby FitzGerald; and his great grandchild, Quentin Archer.