Minister Melvin Derotha Brown of Ontario California passed away on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at the age of 61. Melvin was born in Mobile Alabama, on June 19, 1959, the third child of ten children to Grady Sr. & Atha Lee Brown. One of his endeavors in life was to retire at the age of 62.  However, God called Melvin home at 61, he is now fully retired with benefits from Heaven.

He was a Certified Master Plumber with over forty years of experience. As a child growing up in Mobile, Melvin was a child prodigy with exceptional engineering and mechanical skills that were taught to him by his father.  He also developed and acquired skills in carpentry, automotive, and in electrical. He was also a perfectionist in all of his trades, which produced a large loyal clientele base for his business.

In search of a new life and dreams, Melvin received a prophecy that his blessings were in the state of California. Trusting in the word of God, he moved from Alabama to California in 2005.  Upon arrival, he established a new business and God began to increase his territory.

One year later, he met the love of his life and he knew that Rhonda Lynne Miles, was his soulmate for life. Not only did their love for one another grow, but God blessed them down through the years. God knew what was missing in his life and He filled the void.

As a child growing up in a Holiness church, Melvin had a desire to preach the word at the age of seven, but being denied to sit in the pulpit at church, he cried unto God and the Lord saw his tears.  In May of 2016, God granted Melvin the desires of his heart and he became a licensed minister in the Church of God in Christ.  Melvin was a faithful member of New Direction COGIC, with presiding Bishop Raymond E. Watts. Not only did God fulfill his dream, but He baptized him and filled him with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Needless to say, God gave him all the desires of his heart. When he closed his eyes for the last time, He received his wings.

If you knew Melvin Brown, You know he LOVED to talk, and had the Gift of Gab. TV was his guilty pleasure. He loved watching old reruns of Martin, Sandford & Son, and Everybody Hates Chris. Melvin had a real passion for cooking and loved to cook for friends and family, but his special time was grilling steaks with his grandson Jysiah AKA “Papas Main Man” He also loved having junk food parties with his Baby Girl Kaliah or as he called her “Papas Darlin” They would have ALL the snacks he didn’t need!  Whatever it was, Kaliah would have one serving and he would have two! He enjoyed authentic Mexican food made for him by his Daughter in Love, Aurora. He would take pictures his plate and brag about how delicious it was. What he didnt brag about was the amount of servings he may have had! Melvin loved to work and took great pride in the craft that he mastered as a plumber. He loved teaching his son Lamar and nephew RJ the skills of the trade. He also enjoyed the time he would spend with his father in law, Pops Anderson. They would sit and have long talks about what’s going on in the world. Coming from a big family, Melvin missed the feeling of large family, so he cherished the times when the Botello’s and the Browns got together. It felt like Alabama in California again, but what he truly loved was the trips he took back to his sweet home Alabama to spend time with his brothers and sisters. Family was everything to him.

Melvin was preceded in death by his parents Grady Sr. & Atha Lee Brown.  He leaves to cherish fourteen years of marriage with his wife Rhonda Brown and their family.

• Three sons: Lamar (Aurora) Miles, of Ontario, CA,   Markel (Eureka) Rocker of Mobile, AL. and Cory Christmas of Memphis TN.  

• One daughter:  Melanie Brown of Huntsville Al.  

• One Grandson: Jysiah Lamar Miles.   

• Four granddaughters: Kaliah Marie Miles, Amelia, Baileigh & Carrington Brown.

• Mother and Father in law: Marshall (Georgia) Anderson of Ontario, CA.

• One Sister in law: Karen (Robert) Currie of Ontario, CA.

• Two Brother in law:  Marshall (Debra) Anderson, Tyrone (Stephanie) Smith of Ontario CA

• He also leaves to cherish his memories six brothers: Charles Brown Sr., Grady (Maxine) Brown Jr, Vincent (Angela) Brown Sr., Alfred (Andrea) Brown Sr. and Marcus (Tarema) Brown Sr. all of Mobile, AL. Stevie (Joann) Brown of Gardena CA.

• Three Sisters: LaRita (Bennie) Scott, and Christa (Crawford) of Mobile, Alabama, Lelia P. Brown of Ontario CA.

• Spiritual Mother: Dr. Irene Marshall of Ontario, CA.

• One devoted Sister in Law: Katherine Brown, of Mobile AL. and a host nieces and nephews.