Daveena Melville, 75

Daveena Melville, 75, of Lancaster, died November 2, 2010 at Lancaster General Hospital from pneumonia and complications of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Born Davidina Birnie Harris Ironside in Clydebank, Scotland, Daveena was the youngest child of the late William and Catherine Ironside.  Daveena forged a strong bond with her sisters Betty and Jess as their family experienced first hand the bombings of WWII’s Blitzkrieg.  As a young adult, Daveena began a new life in the United States with the man who was to be her life partner, Ralph Melville.  They shared 54 years together until his death in August 2008.

Her family was her first priority and she was most happy when they were all together.  While geographical distance prevented her from seeing her sisters frequently, their closeness never diminished.  She will be lovingly missed by

Elizabeth Smith and her family in Scottsdale, Arizona and Jessie Watt and her family in Glasgow, Scotland as well as numerous extended family members in Scotland and England.

Daveena held a variety of positions in retail and worked for many years as a cafeteria aide for the Manheim Township School District.  The position from which she reaped the most reward was when she was being a caretaker.  From the time they were born until the end of her life, she enjoyed doting on her children: David (husband of Andrea Cousineau) of Lititz, Ann (wife of Edward Conway) of Landisville, and Scott of Lancaster.  She took the caretaker role to a whole new level when she became a grandmother to Toria Melville and Grant and Ross Conway.

Her caretaker instincts were not just reserved for blood relatives.  If you were her friend you were family.  Her co-workers always became friends and even after retirement age could sometimes be coaxed into working because she wanted to help a friend.  The health struggles of her later years were more of a frustration because they limited her ability to do things for others.

A Funeral Service will be held Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home and Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543 at 3PM. Friends will be received at the funeral home from 2-3PM. Please omit flowers, making contributions in her memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To send an online condolence, please visit SnyderFuneralHome.com. Charles F. Snyder Jr Funeral Home and Crematory, 560-5100.