Clifton Joseph Melancon

St. Martinville - Funeral services will be held for Clifton Melancon, 76, at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 22, 2008 at Pellerin Funeral Home in St. Martinville. ?Officiating will be the Rev. Jesse Charpentier, Sr., pastor of Jenkins Memorial Baptist Church, assisted by the Rev. Wallace Primeaux and the Rev. Dore Langley, former pastors and friends of the family. ?Burial will follow at Methodist Cemetery, in St. Martinville. The family will receive friends and relatives at the funeral home from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, and from 8:00 a.m. until service time on Friday, February 22, 2008. Donations may be made to the American Heart Association, P. O Box 159, Destrahan, LA 70047-0159 or the American Diabetes Association. Clifton was born in St. Martinville on August 30, 1931 to Alexandre and Edna Landry Melancon. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Eastin Melancon; daughter, Leslie M. McGuire and husband, Brian; sons, Stuart Melancon and wife, Karen, and George Melancon and wife, Anne; three grandsons, Matthew and Myles Melancon and Sean McGuire; and one granddaughter, Marly Melancon. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Luce. Clifton graduated from St. Martinville High School in 1948 and attended SLI (UL of Lafayette) for one year. ?In high school he participated in football, basketball, track and tennis. ?He served in the Louisiana National Guard from 1950 to 1959 and achieved recognition as a marksman on the Rifle Team. ? As an adult, Clifton enjoyed playing tennis with many friends and following LSU sports. ?He was employed by the U.S. Post Office and as manager of auto parts stores. Pallbearers will be his sons, son-in-law, and grandsons. Honorary pallbearer will be Lee Broussard, long time friend and best man at his wedding in 1954. Pellerin Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of arrangements.