Thomas William Mellinger

Thomas William Mellinger, 89, of Washington, passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Halcyon House in Washington.

Born on August 7, 1936, in Des Moines County, Iowa, Tom was the son of Frank H. and Gladys E. (Bell) Mellinger. He graduated from Burlington High School and earned his Tool and Die Certification while employed at Campbell Chain Company in West Burlington, where he also owned and operated Mellinger Furnace Cleaning. After moving to Washington, he worked for 30 years at the McCleery-Cumming Company and served as janitor for St. James School. On June 9, 1956, he married Loretta Kibling at St. Johns Catholic Church in Burlington. A longtime member of the St. James Knights of Columbus, Tom also served on the board of the George Washington Credit Union and gave generously of his time as a council member and leader in the Boy Scouts, a 4-H leader, track coach, and Little League coach.

Tom found joy in woodworking, camping, fishing, attending stock car races, playing pool, and spending quiet moments sleeping in the barn with the pigs. Above all, he cherished time with his family, especially his grandchildren, and loved sharing stories of his boyhood on his Uncle Charlie’s farm.

He is survived by his wife, Loretta; their seven children, Roseanne Mellinger (Max Morrow) of Louisiana, Carol Karian (David) of California, Mark Mellinger (Cheryl) of Maryland, and Gary Mellinger (Janine), Scott Mellinger (Cindy), Angela Zook (Rusty), and Melissa Cardwell (Kevin), all of Iowa; 17 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren; his sister, Joyce Morris of Oklahoma; sister-in-law Lynda Mellinger of Iowa; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Timothy, his sister Violet Boecker, and his brother Kenneth Mellinger.