Mayor notes impact of Smitherman and Mellor
Dec. 14—Friends and family are mourning the loss of two individuals who had an impact on the McAlester community.
Louis Smitherman served as the longtime Ward 6 city councilor and also served on a number of other community bodies.
George "Butch" Mellor Jr. operated car dealerships in Hartshorne and McAlester, then later served as manger of McAlester Regional Airport.
Smitherman, 77, died Dec. 6, at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Visitation was set for 5-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at the Chaney Harkins Funeral Home Chapel in McAlester.
Funeral services for Smitherman were set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Hartshorne School Auditorium, with burial to follow at Hartshorne's Elm Park Cemetery.
McAlester Mayor John Browne is officially recognizing Smitherman's impact on the community.
"I have written a proclamation declaring Sunday, December 17 as Louis Smitherman Day in McAlester," Browne said.
"Louis was a great member of our community who always stayed involved in bettering our city and who served as a city councilman for a number of years."
He also most recently served as a member of the McAlester Housing Authority, Browne said.
Smitherman was also a member of the Pittsburg County Holiday Commission, which organizes the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King commemorative events.
He's also been involved in efforts to save the former L'Ouverture School building and has worked on other community projects.
Smitherman also worked for a number of years for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and served as city manager for two different cities in Oklahoma.
"He treated everyone with dignity," Browne said.
Mellor, 82, died Dec. 7 at his home. A memorial service was held Dec. 12 at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home in McAlester.
Browne recalled Mellor's years as a McAlester businessman and as manger of McAlester Regional Airport.
"'Butch' for years, was a businessman in our community," Browne noted.
He owned and operated the Mellor Chevrolet auto dealership in Hartshorne, later moving the dealership to McAlester, where he operated it for almost 20 years before selling it.
"As a car dealer, he knew everybody and everybody liked him," Browne said.
Mellor later became the manger of McAlester Regional Airport.
"He was so involved with the airport and running it that the running joke was it was going to be renamed as the 'Butch' Mellor International Airport," Browne said.
Browne noted the contributions of both Smitherman and Mellor to McAlester and the surrounding area.
"They will both be sorely missed and my heart goes out to their friends and family," said Browne.
