Melvin L Dillman

Melvin L. Dillman, 85, of Paoli, passed away Sunday, January 26, 2014. Born June 13, 1928 in Crawford County, Indiana, he was the son of Ralph Eldridge and Hazel Fern (Small) Dillman. From the age of 13, when both of his parents went to work for the war effort, Melvin shouldered responsibility for raising his younger brothers and running the family farm.  Following graduation from Leavenworth High School in 1947, Melvin joined International Harvester as a machinist and was the first person Harvester selected to enter their tool and die maker apprenticeship.  Learning he was about to be drafted into the Army, he enlisted in the Navy so he could continue his work as a machinist.  He served during the Korean Conflict aboard the USS Askari where he operated a machine shop and received a Letter of Commendation for his “level-headed manner” and “excellent leadership abilities”.  During his service, his firstborn child, a son, was stillborn in Guam.  Being forbidden from bringing the baby to the States for funeral services, he was buried in the Guam Veterans Cemetery.  Following his Navy service, he returned to International Harvester and completed his apprenticeship.  He stayed with Harvester for 23 years; climbing from tool and die making, to mechanical engineering, to tool development engineering.  From 1965 to 1966, he worked nights and attended Kentucky School of Mortuary Science during the day, graduating cum laude.  He did his two-year funeral directing apprenticeship at Dillman-Green Funeral Home (owned by his brother Merrill) in Marengo and also worked at Gehlbach and Royse Funeral Home in Georgetown.  He was approached by the Ellis family to purchase the Ellis Funeral Home in Paoli. In 1971, Melvin moved his family into the upper floor of the funeral home and began his second career at Dillman-Ellis Funeral Home where he also provided the town ambulance service for five years.  A second funeral home, Dillman-Hunter, was reopened in Hardinsburg.  After 20 years of funeral directing, Melvin sold his funeral business and tried out retirement.  He obtained his realtor’s license and invested in rental property, land, and cattle.  Not quite busy enough, he purchased the Hoosier Hardware and began his third career in hardware.  In 2012, at the age of 83, he returned to funeral directing and, along with a son, reacquired the former Dillman-Ellis Funeral Home, which now operates as Dillman-Scott Funeral Home.  Although his sons ran the daily operations of the hardware store and the funeral home, he continued to work at both until his recent health failure. Melvin had many talents and interests.  He was a member of Oakview Baptist Church in Okeechobee, and attended Paoli First Baptist Church for many years but was a friend of all faiths.  He was active in the Paoli community through several civic organizations and boards, including the Paoli Masonic Lodge 119 F&AM, Scottish Rite of Evansville, Hadi Temple Shriners of Evansville, Paoli Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, a charter member of Paoli Optimist Club, and Paoli Meridian Lions Club.  He was named a Kentucky Colonel in 1988.   In 1994, was Paoli’s Citizen of the Year and the fall festival parade’s Grand Marshal.  He was skilled at woodworking, enjoyed cooking, loved to fish, and garden.  He enjoyed farm animals and had more than a few pets over the years.   Melvin and Rebecca enjoyed wintering at their home on Lake Okeechobee in Florida, where they had many strong friendships.  He followed politics, the stock market, and had a great sense of humor.  He was a mentor, a confidant, someone you could count on.   More than anything, though, he was a humble Christian man whose life centered on quietly helping others. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Ralph Edward Dillman, brother Norman, a great granddaughter and a great grandson. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Rebecca Limeberry Scott Dillman; two brothers, Merrill (Gail) Dillman of Marengo and Harold (Lou Ann) Dillman of Corydon; six children, Rhonda (Vincent) Vance of Paoli, Gerald (Kim) Scott of Orleans, Carla (Bucky) Cook of Jeffersonville, Bradley Scott of Paoli, Cheryl (Rick) Carrico of Louisville, and Tim (Lisa) Scott of Paoli; 14 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren with five more on the way, and his beloved, faithful companion, Okee. Visitation will be Wednesday, January 29, 2014 from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m. with Masonic services at 6:00 p.m., and 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 30th at Dillman-Scott Funeral Home, 226 West Campbell Street.  Funeral services will be Thursday at 1:00 p.m.  Interment to follow at the Stamper’s Creek Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Backpacks of Blessings, c/o Orange County Community Foundation, the Orange County Humane Society, or to the charity of choice.