1926 – 2015

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — Melba Chodosh, 88, a resident of Oquossoc and New York City, N.Y., died on Monday, Feb. 9, with her loving family by her side.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., on Feb. 26, 1926, to Rose and Herman Goldberg and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Melba graduated from James Madison High School at the age of 16. She attended Brooklyn College for two years.

She met Paul Chodosh on a blind date in 1945; they were married in 1947, and they spent their honeymoon fishing at Bald Mountain Camps. This began a lifelong love of Rangeley.

Mel and Paul raised their five children in Hillside, N.J. Mel also managed Paul’s Otolaryngology practice. Co-owner of Mingo Springs Golf Course with Paul since 1968, Melba ran the course until the end of her life. She shined as a cook, a baker, a weaver, a quilter and a ceramicist, but nothing was more important than the people she loved.

Melba was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Paul L. Chodosh in 2008; her brother, Jack Goldberg in 1974; and her brother-in-law, Richard B. Chodosh in 2013.

She is survived by five children, 11 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, three step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren. Immediate family members include daughter, Pamela, her husband Paul Hausman, her son Aaron Yowell, Aaron’s father Timothy Yowell, Aaron’s wife Alison Novak, their daughter Mavis, and Paul’s children, Phoebe and Amos; son Jonathan, his wife, Claire Seidl, and their children, Eva, Rosie and Francie; son, Joshua, his wife, Perrin Pleninger, their children, Max, Anya and Lydia; son James, his wife Jaya Rajaiya, his children, Otis and Ursula, their mother, Abigail Tischler, and Jaya’s daughter, Nitara; son Hiram, his wife, Priya Junnar, their children Saja and Caleb; nephews, Ned Goldberg, Peter Goldberg and Michael Chodosh; nieces, Beth Goldberg, Kathy Bergmann and Marilyn Kruegel.