Melvin Allen (Al) Spaulding

Melvin Allen (Al) Spaulding

Melvin Allen (Al) Spaulding was born on November 25, 1930 in Geff, Illinois to Loy Carson Spaulding and Carrie Cecelia Best. He was their only child.

After graduating from Geff Highschool in the class of 1948, he attended Southern Illinois University working towards his bachelor’s degree. In 1951, during the Korean War, rather than be drafted, he enlisted into the Airforce. He served our country for three years and was honorably discharged in 1954. While in the military he met and married his first wife, Virginia “Ginnie” DuBose. After discharge, he returned to SIU to complete his bachelor’s degree with a major in PE and a minor in business education. He then began his family and career teaching Elementary PE in Illinois for 18 years. In 1955, Melvin “Mel” Allen Jr. was born, followed by Mark Albert in 1957, and then Michael “Mike” Arther was born in 1959. In 1964, he moved his family to Whittier, California and taught business classes at Monte Vista High School until the school closed in 1979. In March 1967, Ginnie died suddenly in the hospital after being admitted with a severe headache.

Later in 1967, while in Oklahoma for a family finance workshop, he met Flora Jeanne Adkisson and her daughter Tresa Dawn who was born in 1964. They married and blended their families on August 15, 1967. Trina Diane was born into the family in 1969. In 1974, the family moved to Norco, California where Roy Carson was born in 1975. In 1978 at the age of 23, Al’s oldest son Mel, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Two months later that same year, Richard Allen was born. In the summer of 1980, the Spaulding family moved to Meridian Idaho where Al finished his career teaching high school at Meridian High School. He retired from teaching in 1999.

One of the loves of Al’s life was coaching. Throughout his life he coached basketball, baseball, football, and girls softball. He was known to be an understanding and compassionate coach who challenged his players to improve their abilities while also staying sensitive to their feelings.

Al loved creating memories with his loved ones. He enjoyed the outdoors—fishing, camping, ATV rides, and waterskiing. He taught all his children and other family members how to waterski. He always took time to watch a beautiful sunset at the end of the day.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne and his children: Mike (Cindy), Tresa (David), Trina (Gary), Roy (Angela), Richard (Kim), and 20 grandchildren: Shannon, Michelle (Ricky), Mike Jr. (Erin), Alan (Jenny), Timothy (Melissa), Jennifer, Sara, Heather, Jonathan, Ashlyn, McKinley, Sage, River, Canyon, Spring, Jackson, Emma, Melanie Ann, Ginnie, Jason; and 10 great-grandchildren: Xander, Kaladin, Lucy, Hunter, Ashton, Delaynie, Savannah, Lucas, Destiny, and Rylan.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, June 15, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2555 S. Stoddard Rd. in Meridian.  A committal service with military honors will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, June 17, 2024, at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, 10100 N. Horseshoe Bend Rd. in Boise.

Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.