Obituary for Michael David Mellinger
Michael D. Mellinger, age 34, left this earth quickly on 4/27/2022 from his home in New Castle.
He attended St Peter's School, St Mark's High School and Delaware Community College. He graduated with an Associate of Arts in Teaching Education: Middle-Level Mathematics Education: Social Science Minor from Delaware Community Technical College.
Michael was a mathematics tutor for Delaware Community Technical College, prior to that, he worked for Rite Aid as an assistant manager and for Slicer's Camping Center. Whether he was helping students in person or online he was patient, caring and excellent at encouraging students. He taught them that they were capable of understanding and completing the math problem before them. He did it gently and with a sense of humor. Many students were amazed at his ability to get them to understand something which they found incomprehensible. Many students passed or achieved excellent grades after his tutoring, but he always insisted it was they who did the work.
Mike was genuinely thoughtful and kind, caring to people of all walks of life and never needed recognition for who he was. He was insightful and spiritual; involved with family in quiet and meaningful ways, always seeming to hit the mark with what was truly needed. As a friend he was open and genuine, the rare person who could keep a secret out of respect for another person's privacy. Mike was accepting of most everyone, as long as you were not a mean person, only a few moments with him, another person could not help but notice this. A rare person who treated others as he would like to be treated. Mike loved all things natural, as a lover of animals he felt they needed the same respect as humans. He had an analytical mind and a knack for solving problems from math to music, to fishing lures.
Mike loved fishing in the ocean on the sand or rocks and sharing that joy with others. He spent time listening to music and perfecting his own. He was a video gamer with people all over the world and could be heard laughing and enjoying play well into the nighttime hours.
He was preceded in death by his aunts, Loretta Keenan, Patricia (Susie) Mellinger; uncle, James Ostendorf; and his grandparents, Herman and Marie Ostendorf and Austin and Leta Mellinger.
Mike will be dearly missed by his parents, John and Winifred (Winnie) Mellinger; brothers, Jason (Lesley) and Mark (Agnieszka) Mellinger; niece, Ava; and nephew, Grayson Mellinger. He is also survived by his cousins, Michael, and James Keenan; uncle, Bernard Ostendorf (Wendy); and aunt, Elizabeth O Larwa (Pete); his best friends, Kyle Hoffman (Chelsea), Gionne Cannister and Bearuss, his cat.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the celebration of life luncheon on Saturday, May 14 at The Rail at White Clay Creek, 777 Delaware Park Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19804, from 2:00pm-4:00pm
In lieu of flowers the family asks contributions to be made in Mike’s name to Delaware Community Technical College, Mathematics tutoring lab, Brandywine SPCA, or any environmental cause.
He attended St Peter's School, St Mark's High School and Delaware Community College. He graduated with an Associate of Arts in Teaching Education: Middle-Level Mathematics Education: Social Science Minor from Delaware Community Technical College.
Michael was a mathematics tutor for Delaware Community Technical College, prior to that, he worked for Rite Aid as an assistant manager and for Slicer's Camping Center. Whether he was helping students in person or online he was patient, caring and excellent at encouraging students. He taught them that they were capable of understanding and completing the math problem before them. He did it gently and with a sense of humor. Many students were amazed at his ability to get them to understand something which they found incomprehensible. Many students passed or achieved excellent grades after his tutoring, but he always insisted it was they who did the work.
Mike was genuinely thoughtful and kind, caring to people of all walks of life and never needed recognition for who he was. He was insightful and spiritual; involved with family in quiet and meaningful ways, always seeming to hit the mark with what was truly needed. As a friend he was open and genuine, the rare person who could keep a secret out of respect for another person's privacy. Mike was accepting of most everyone, as long as you were not a mean person, only a few moments with him, another person could not help but notice this. A rare person who treated others as he would like to be treated. Mike loved all things natural, as a lover of animals he felt they needed the same respect as humans. He had an analytical mind and a knack for solving problems from math to music, to fishing lures.
Mike loved fishing in the ocean on the sand or rocks and sharing that joy with others. He spent time listening to music and perfecting his own. He was a video gamer with people all over the world and could be heard laughing and enjoying play well into the nighttime hours.
He was preceded in death by his aunts, Loretta Keenan, Patricia (Susie) Mellinger; uncle, James Ostendorf; and his grandparents, Herman and Marie Ostendorf and Austin and Leta Mellinger.
Mike will be dearly missed by his parents, John and Winifred (Winnie) Mellinger; brothers, Jason (Lesley) and Mark (Agnieszka) Mellinger; niece, Ava; and nephew, Grayson Mellinger. He is also survived by his cousins, Michael, and James Keenan; uncle, Bernard Ostendorf (Wendy); and aunt, Elizabeth O Larwa (Pete); his best friends, Kyle Hoffman (Chelsea), Gionne Cannister and Bearuss, his cat.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the celebration of life luncheon on Saturday, May 14 at The Rail at White Clay Creek, 777 Delaware Park Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19804, from 2:00pm-4:00pm
In lieu of flowers the family asks contributions to be made in Mike’s name to Delaware Community Technical College, Mathematics tutoring lab, Brandywine SPCA, or any environmental cause.