Deceased Classmate: Melody McCollum Zajdel
Date Of Birth: 12-16-49
Date Deceased: 9-11-2017
Classmate City: Bozeman
Classmate State: MT
Classmate Country: USA
Was a Veteran: No
Survived By: husband: Richard Zajdel
Melody graduated from Baldwin Wallace and received her PhD in English from Michigan State University. Among her academic interests were women poets including HD and Sylvia Plath although she was published in a number of academic journals on a variety of topics. She taught for many years (35) at Montana State University in Bozeman Montana and ended her career there in the position of Associate Dean for Student and Faculty Development in the College of Letters and Science. Melody was always good company and had a marvelous sense of the ridiculous.
Tom Bates
Melody was a good friend of mine in school although we lost touch. We had been in contact when she was a BW and then MSU and later in Montana. I don't remember when we first met...2nd? 3rd? 4th? grade? I know we were both in the same class in fifth grade at Fairwood and together in almost all classes every year after that. We each played the clarinet and in fifth grade played a duet of the Toreador song from Carmen (Bizet). Badly. I think we had to start over a couple of times.
One of my memories of Melody was her ability to speak rapidly--like the television commercial several years ago. She could recite The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere at lightning speed with hand gestures and it was hysterical.
Its sad to learn of her passing.
Kathy Kirkwood (Roderick)
It is always sad to hear about another classmate has passed on. I send my condolences to Melody's Family.
John Laurence
I guess I knew Melody all my life. She and I were born on the same day, in the same hospital (classmate Sally Dean was one day ahead of us). I think I was in the same class as Melody every year at Fairwood--and many with you Tom Bates. I agree that she could talk faster than anyone in class, but she usually had something smart to say and always had something nice to say about everyone. RIP, Melody.
Charlene Keesy (Hanchak)
Yes Melody was a special person and I can imagine her as an outstanding college professor. I knew she was at Michigan State and wished I had reached out reconnect with her during that time. She seemed to be truely happy and could pass that feeling on to others in her presence. Glad to see an updated picture of her. She will be missed!!
Diane Merritt
I don't visit this site often but I am so sad to hear that Melody is no longer with us anymore. She had so much energy, and was so bright.We were together at Fairwood, Roehm, and BHS. Yes she could get a lot of words into her sentences quickly, and always had an opinion to share whether on current events, band or her Scotch-Irish tendency to wear ORANGE on St. Patrick's day. RIP Melody, you will be missed and remembered.