NMMA mourns loss of Ralph C. Meloon Sr., Hall of Fame Recipient and Industry Pioneer
Alongside the industry, NMMA is mourning the loss of industry legend and pioneer, Ralph C. Meloon, Sr. Meloon, a 2013 recipient of the NMMA Hall of Fame Award, passed away at the age of 100 on Saturday, August 11.
In an announcement, Correct Craft noted that Meloon was the middle of three brothers and was seven years old when his father Walter C. Meloon moved the family from New Hampshire to Florida to start the Florida Variety Boat Company (now Correct Craft) in 1925. Meloon was involved with the company then and continued his involvement until his death.
A leader across the industry, Meloon upheld the tradition established by his father of “Building boats to the glory of God." He held many positions at Correct Craft over the years including President, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Chairman of the Board. He was instrumental in helping shape Correct Craft for over ninety years.
Correct Craft President and CEO, Bill Yeargin said, “Ralph was truly an extraordinary man who always encouraged everyone he met; our team understands that the work we do today was built on his shoulders and we are incredibly saddened by this loss. Personally, Ralph was a dear friend. He was always full of encouragement and many times he would pop in my office and say, ‘Betty and I prayed for you this morning, Bill.’ He rarely left my office without saying ‘We love you, Bill.’ As I have traveled the globe for our company, people all over the world would ask me about Ralph Meloon. So, as we celebrate Ralph’s life, we recommit ourselves to the values that Ralph so embraced; faith, integrity, and family – those are the things that were important to Ralph."