August 13, 2024
Menezes, Dr. Melvyn A.J.
Melvyn Allan Joseph Menezes, husband of the late Maria Menezes, died Tuesday, August 6, 2024 while on holiday in Bangalore, India. Melvyn was a resident of Chestnut Hill since 2019 (formerly of Westwood). He was 73. Melvyn was born on February 8, 1951 in Karachi, Pakistan, the middle of Archibald and Veronica (Mathias) Menezes’ five children. He obtained a degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, India; an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, India; and a PhD in marketing from the University of California Los Angeles. He worked at Gabriel Shock Absorbers before moving to the United States and starting his professorial career at Harvard Business School. Later, he worked at Gemini Consulting in Boston before launching his own consulting practice while at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. He was the president of the Indian American Forum for Political Education; a member of the Oakley Country Club in Watertown; and a parishioner of St. Denis Church in Westwood.
Melvyn is survived by his daughter Andrea Menezes, brother Kevin Menezes and his wife Maryann, sister Rosita Aranha and her husband Jude, and sister-in-law Leila Menezes. He was the brother of the late Lolita Saldanha and her late husband Sylvy, and the late Peter (Bobby) Menezes. He was the brother-in-law of Priya Mascarenhas and her late husband Mohan, Primus Rasquinha and his wife Therese, Titus Rasquinha and his wife Marina, Linus Rasquinha, Vitus Rasquinha and his wife Corrine, and Cletus Rasquinha.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, August 16 from 4 to 8 PM at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street, Westwood.
Funeral mass will be held at St. Denis Church, 157 Washington Street (Route 1A), Westwood for his Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM. Burial will follow at New Westwood Cemetery, Westwood. Melvyn’s funeral mass may be watched on livestreaming at www.harborview.live
Comments(18)
Melvyn was my friend for fifty five plus years, right from our college days. He always had my back and I will miss him very much.
Rest in peace, my friend.
Prashant
Uncle Melwyn’s career was marked by excellence and distinction, his legacy will continue to inspire and motivate future generations.
May Uncle Melvyn’s loving memory, his life well lived and the love you shared bring comfort and peace to your hearts. Deepest condolences to the family . May his soul Rest in Peace.
Uncle Melwyn’s career was marked by excellence and distinction, his legacy will continue to inspire and motivate future generations.
May Uncle Melvyn’s loving memory, his life well lived and the love you shared bring comfort and peace to your hearts. Deepest condolences to the family . May his soul Rest in Peace.
It was a shock to hear the demise of Melvyn He has left behind his daughter with a wonderful legacy that has been aired by many on WhatsApp and other websites May the Almighty give strength to his daughter and all the family members loved ones and friends
He will be in our thoughts for years to come
Uncle Melwyn was married to my aunt late Dr. Maria who was my Dad’s (Vijay D’sa) first cousin. My last meeting with U. Melvyn was in Oct 2018 when we met at Ian’s place at Rhode Island, USA and it was such an amazing evening. So humble yet so knowledgeable. We concluded our evening with him inviting us to spend time at his place in Boston when we visit next. Unfortunately that wish is unfulfilled. He lived a great life, now he’s united with his dearest wife, eternally ❤️ May your soul rest in peace dearest U. Melvyn. Your legacy lives through all your students. Loads of hugs and condolences dearest Andrea and to all the family. May God bless you with the comfort and grace to bear this loss. With all of you in prayers and thoughts.
Averyl
The Menezes family and the Coelho family were friends before the day when Melwyn’s dad, Uncle Archie was the “best-man” at my parents wedding in Karachi in April, 1942! The close friendship continued in Bombay when we visited and spent time in each other’s homes when they lived on Waterfield Rd in Bandra. My siblings and I played with Bobby, Lolita, Melwyn and Kevin. My memories of our friendship go back to when I was 4. All celebrations included the Menezes (Uncle Archie and Aunty Vera were my younger brother Francis’ godparents.
I lived in Boston from 1974 to 1992 beginning my professional career at Boston University. I have memories of going on picnics together with Bobby, Leila, Melwyn and Maria when Andrea was a baby!
So the deaths of Bobby, (the last person to spend time in the hospital with my father Patrick before he died in Toronto), Lolita and Melwyn are akin to losing a member of the family. May the Risen Christ surround Andrea with the love of her family and friends and may Melwyn rest in peace forever with Maria, his parents and siblings- Derek Coelho
U Melwyn : An amazing personality with tons of amazing achievements. We met him very briefly but were only in awe at his accomplishments. We pray that his soul Rest In Peace and may the Blessed Lord give courage to and strength to Andrea and all family members. A quote we just read “ Those we love don’t go away, they walk besides us every day. Unseen, Unheard but always near, still loved, still missed and held so dear”
Our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the Menezes family on Melwyn’s sudden passing. May his soul rest in peace.
I can’t believe my friend passed away my heartfelt condolences to the family !!!Stay strong Andrea loves
RIP
Neide Souza
I had a priviledge of meeting Melvyn at Ian’s graduation ceremony in 2016, after a gap of 20 years while attending Sylvy’s funeral in 1996.
During Ian’s graduation we had to stay in a hotel overnight and over a few drinks we discussed all of our family matters,sports and politics and various topics till wee hours in the morning. Since we had to get up early morning we promised to meet again and continue our conversation.
Unfortunately we did not meet personally except for few sessions on zoom cooking .
I regret that I did not had a chance to meet him again as he was very humble,jovial, humorous and easy to talk on any topics.
My sincere condolences to all the members of the family.May his soul rest in peace.
We are still reeling from this really sad news. Melvyn and his late wife Maria were very dear friends of ours.
You are going to read this sentiment repeatedly …. Why? Because that´s who they were, just wonderful friends. Always interested in what´s happening in your lives, your children´s lives. Always had positive vibes around them which made people feel good.
They used to have really funny stories and one that comes to my mind is when Melvyn teased Maria, I believe it was an April fools joke, he said he had read in the local newspapers that they were going to combine the towns of Westwood and Dedham and that the new town was now going to be Dedwood. Oh my gosh it was too hilarious, Maria exclaiming, “I can´t live in a place called Dedwood!”. This is just one example of his humor.
Another thing that I´ll always remember them by is how they showed up on time for our parties. If you´ve heard of Indian Standard Time, it´s about how Indians are always late for their social events. Not Melvyn and Maria… they were on time always, that is till they realized that they often arrived before their hosts were ready to receive them, and they started showing up 15 minutes later. It was a joke amongst us.
I write about this with tears in my eyes because I miss them so much. Now we´ve lost our dearest Melvyn to her. While I am sad to lose another dear friend, I take solace in the fact that he is reunited with his dear wife Maria. We will miss you dearly, Melvyn. We will miss your calls on our birthdays, your impeccable manners, your funny and not so funny anecdotes. We are indeed very sorry for this loss in our lives. May you be reunited with your love and rest in peace dear friend.
Dearest Andrea, my cousins Leila, Kevin and Maryann, Rosita and Jude, and Lolita’s three boys in the US, Carl, Teddy and Ian, and all the nieces and nephews of my dearest cousin Melvyn, and the whole Rasqinha family,
We are with you all in your grief, very specially in prayer, memories, and thoughts during these terribly sad days. I will miss my loving, charming, handsome, humourous, brilliant, erudite cousin, specially his messages on my birthday. Can never ever forget the most happy, fun, Warm, musical, dancing holidays that I spent with my Menezes cousins and aunty Vera and Uncle Archie, in Esperanca, Bombay, in my growing up years.
Rest in peace, dearest Chinky.
Love you Andrea. May the Lord comfort you.
Amita
Joined by Mark and the children
Melvyn was a beloved cousin, a great favourite. A brilliant mind and a charming, sweet spirit. An unbearable combination. A great loss to us and the world. A life well lived. Rest in peace, dearest Coz., reunited with your beloved Maria and the rest of those gone before.
Dear Andrea,
Our deepest condolences on your brilliant, warm, kind Dad’s passing.
Though, technically, an uncle, I had never met him (and was so looking forward to, when he was in Bangalore recently)but will remember with gratitude the hospitality and kindness your wonderful parents and you extended to our son, Viren, when he joined BU in
2005.
In turn, in the conversations your parents and I had, I was regaled with the love and regard they had for our parents, especially in light of our lawyer Dad being there for both sets of your grandparents, your Dad’s mother, in particular, when she was widowed. I heard our Daddy clued her in and helped her with all the paperwork.
They must all be rejoicing in Heaven now, there, for one another, forever.There, to intercede for us, bereft
here on Earth. Let us carry on their legacy of love and kindness.
Take care of yourself. Warm hugs,
Raj and Ashu
I’m heartbroken. Will miss my friend Melvyn dearly, and treasure our good time together at IIT, and the chances we got to meet over the years, especially our last just three months ago in Boston. Rest in peace my friend. Dear Andrea, I pray you find the strength to cope, and remember all that was good and joyous with your Dad. He gave many of us much to fondly remember.
Our deep condolences on your sudden passing Melwyn. We pray for your daughter and your brother and sister, Kevin and Rosita, thir spouses and families. May you rest in peace. Loy Rego n Jean DCunha
Shocking that Melwyn has passed away. I met him at a bank in Colaba, that is on the ground level of the building we both grew up in, just a few days before he passed away. We chatted for a few minutes. He looked fit except that he informed me that he had painful knees.
We were neighbours for many years. His parents were friends with my parents.
He achieved a lot in life. May his soul rest in peace
Condolences to Kevin, Rosita and the family.
Melvyn was one of the kindest and most generous of men. I met him at UCLA, and when he moved to Harvard, Paul and he became friends as well. We will always remember his hearty laugh, his patience, and his devotion to his family, his work, and his church.
We never heard Melvyn say a bad word about anyone – a testament to his excellence of spirit.
He will be sorely missed, but will live on in our memories.