Melvin ‘Mel’ Dobson
courtesy photo
Melvin Dobson
ST. IGNATIUS — Melvin ‘Mel’ Wood Dobson passed away Thursday, July 21, 2016, at Closer To Home Assisted Living in St. Ignatius. He was born at home, the eighth son of Lula and Leon Dobson, on Nov. 1, 1934, in Holden, Utah. Holden was his home, on the family farm, until he completed high school.
He is preceded in death by both parents and six brothers: Don, Evan, Myron, Clifford, Earl and Lester Dobson. Mel was a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Mel is survived by his wife, Sunnie Jones Dobson, at their home in Polson; and five children born to his first wife, Carolyn Dobson: Kim M. (Pam) and Jeffery Shan, of Olympia, Washington; Teresa ‘Teri’ Lyn (Hal Enerson) of Port Angeles, Washington; and Laurie Ray Correa (Hector) of Murrieta, California; and Darren Scott Dobson (Sondra) of Olympia, Washington.
He left three stepsons: Roger B Hutchins (Myakka) of Cottonwood, Arizona; Bryan C. Hutchins (Jamie) of Whitefish; and Steve Hutchins (Irene) of Columbia Falls. He was blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Lowell Dobson (Shirley) of Spanish Fork, Utah, is his only surviving brother.
His career spanned many decades. He was with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for eighteen years. Mel then spent over four decades, from 1971, as a nationally and internationally recognized professional wildlife artist. He owned “Wolfwalker Galleries” in Sedona, Arizona, for fifteen years and retired to Polson in 2004.
Traveling extensively in East Africa, Mel also spent time in the Pantanal of Brazil and visited Queensland, Victoria, and Tasmania in Australia. There were many trips to British Columbia and he spent time in the Yukon, Alaska and Alberta clear to the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. His search was always for more knowledge of wildlife and habitats for use in his artwork, which remained his life’s passion.
