Melvyn "Mel" Carlos Ethington, 70, of Flagstaff, Arizona, died September 11, 2008. He was born January 4, 1938 in Chandler, Arizona to Ralph Price and Veda Haymore Ethington. He died unexpectedly at home.

Mel married his high school sweetheart, Virginia "Ginger" Anne Watson on June 14, 1957 in the Los Angeles, California L.D.S. Temple. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year.

Mel moved to Northern California with his family when he was 8 years old and went to school in the Nicolaus, California area. He was in the hay and dairy business for the first 7 years of his married life. In 1964 Mel went to work for Greyhound Bus Lines as a bus driver and worked out of El Centro, CA, Phoenix, AZ and Flagstaff, AZ for 26 years. He then drove for several small charter bus lines out of Southern California and Phoenix for 14 years, driving approximately 3 million miles over his 40 year career as a bus driver. The last 12 years he has led tours to the Copper Canyon in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. In the transportation community he was well respected on both sides of the border. The many people that traveled with him on tours throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico enjoyed his expanded knowledge of the areas in which they traveled as well as his quick wit and wonderful sense of humor.

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed serving and giving his time to his family and his church family. He will be dearly missed by all that knew and loved him.

Mel was preceded in death by his infant sister Yvonne, brothers Lloyd and Harold, parents Ralph and Veda, and infant granddaughter Mariah Ethington. He is survived by his wife Ginger, daughter Janelle (Matt) Gaus, sons Ran (Vickie) Ethington and Russ Ethington, sister Darla (Burke) Adams, and his brother Floyd (Linda) Ethington. He has 6 grand children and 4 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the American Heart Association are suggested.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September, 20, 2008 at 10:00 am with a viewing one hour before at the Lake Mary L.D.S. Chapel at 4165 S. Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff, Arizona.