Obituary of Melvin Allen Newkirk, Jr.

Melvin Allen Newkirk, Jr.

Melvin Allen Newkirk, Jr., passed away on September 11, 2024.  Melvin was born in Camas, WA on July 5, 1943 and attended Camas schools. He joined the Army in 1962 and was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After he was discharged, he spent a short time in California and then returned to the Camas/Washougal area, living in Camas, Bear Prarie, Fern Prarie, and Washougal. In 1979 he moved his family to his current home near Mt Pleasant in Washougal and lived there the remainder of his years.

Melvin worked at the Camas Paper Mill for 39 years.  He was a very clever man, engineering and designing many projects for his home and family. If there was a problem or something needed fixing, he would find/create/design a solution. He was always building something, from woodworking to metal craft and machining, to 3D printing and a myriad of other outlets - creating was his pastime. You could always find him in his shop making something. Other hobbies included gardening, astronomy, art, gun collecting, and anything that piqued his interest or curiosity. He was a man of many talents. He loved animals and took in several stray dogs over the years. He would bring home orphaned baby pigeons from the papermill and raised them and had tame squirrels he would feed from his dining room window. He raised three horses, and you could sometimes catch him wrestling his mini horse, Sparky, in the yard. He also kept chickens and geese and had a pet parrot.

Melvin is survived by his wife, Norma Medina Newkirk for 38 years, daughters, Melinda L Gibbs of Longview, WA (2nd marriage to Cheryle L Gobin) Dawn Kelley of WA (2nd marriage to Cheryle L Gobin) Lynette Hyde of Shawnee, Oklahoma (1st marriage to Margaret Brickey), son, Arthur K Newkirk of Oroville, WA (2nd marriage to Cheryle L Gobin), sister, Janet Gilson of Washougal, WA, 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, December 6th, at 3 pm in the Camas Community Center Reception Room, located at 1718 SE 7th Ave, Camas, WA 98607