Joseph Carlos Melo
Joseph Carlos Melo of Monroe, an incoming freshman at Don Bosco Preparatory High School and lifelong resident of the area, died Monday, July 8, 2013, at Westchester Medical Center in Mount Pleasant. He was 13 years of age.
The son of Michael and Elizabeth Melo, he was born July 19, 1999, in Middletown.
Joseph just completed his middle school education at Monroe-Woodbury Middle School and was on the Honor Roll.
He was in the Expand Program for Gifted and Talented Students, an altar server at Scared Heart R.C. Church, volunteer at Monroe Free Library, volunteer coach for Monroe-Woodbury Pop Warner Football, a player on the Monroe-Woodbury Middle School football and track teams and a member of the New Jersey Striders Track Team.
He had earned his Black Belt in Tang Soo Do and also participated in the 2011 Junior Olympics for Discus.
Survivors include his parents Michael and Elizabeth Melo of Monroe; his brother Anthony at home; his maternal grandparents Michael and Irene Lynch of Monroe; and his paternal grandmother Avo Arina Melo of Portugal.
He also is survived by his aunts and uncles Peggy and Mike Mullahy of Monroe, Michael and Kelly Lynch of Rockville Centre, Patricia Lynch of New York City.
His aunt Isabella Barry of Chester and aunt and uncle Aires and Alda Bettincourt of Fall River, Mass., along with his cousins Michael, Rachel, Kevin, Michael and Julia also survive him.
Visitation will be held Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., at Flynn Funeral & Cremation Memorial Centers, Inc., located at 139 Stage Road, Monroe.
A funeral Mass will be offered at Sacred Heart R.C. Church, 26 Still Road, Monroe, on Sunday, July 14, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Thomas Byrnes officiating.
Burial will follow at Orange County Veterans Cemetery in Goshen.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial contributions in Joseph’s name please be forwarded to Provident Bank, 3 Bryle Place, Chester, NY 10918, Attention Heather Foley, for a memorial fund to be established in his memory.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Thomas F. Flynn and the staff of Flynn Funeral & Cremation Memorial Centers, Inc. For directions to the funeral home, Sacred Heart R.C. Church, Orange County Veterans Cemetery or to offer an online memorial, please visit www.flynnfh.com.