ALCOAST 499/22 - DEC 2022 DEATH OF A PAST AUXILIARY NATIONAL COMMODORE

R 141840Z DEC 22 MID600052515907U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 499/22
SSIC 5060
SUBJ: DEATH OF A PAST AUXILIARY NATIONAL COMMODORE
A. Military Personnel Casualties and Decedent Affairs,
COMDTINST M1770.9A
1. It is with great sadness that I announce the death of Commodore
Peter W. Melera, USCG Auxiliary (retired), who passed away on
Tuesday, 25 October 2022.
2. COMO Melera was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 19,
1942. He was raised in Sharon Springs, New York, where he graduated
from high school in 1960. He attended the Pennsylvania Military
College in Chester; The State University of New York at Cobleskill;
and the University of Georgia, in Athens, where he obtained his
Ph.D. in 1969. Mr. Melera held faculty positions at the Sloan
Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York City; the
University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland;
and as a Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Research at
the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine in Camden, New Jersey,
where he was the Deputy Director for Basic Science at the Cancer
Research Institute of Cooper University Hospital.
3. COMO Melera joined Flotilla 62, of the First District 1SR,
in Rye, New York, on July 18, 1974. During the ensuing 21 years, he
served in appointed positions at the Flotilla, Division, and
District levels and in elected positions at all levels, including
serving on the National EXCOMM as NARCO-East and NAVCO from 1992-94.
He earned the AUXOP device in 1983 and became certified as an
Auxiliary Coxswain in 1985 and a Boat Crew Qualification Examiner
in 1987. At NACON 1994, he was elected to the position of Auxiliary
National Commodore (NACO) from 1995-96. Additionally, in 1996,
Peter was asked by the United States Coast Guard Academy to join
its board of trustees. He served in this capacity from August 1996
to November 2016 and became the longest serving trustee in the
history of the board.
4. COMO Melera is survived by his wife, Barb, son, Peter Franklin,
daughter by marriage, Pam, and four grandchildren.
5. POC: CDR Bradly Winans, COMDT (CG-BSX-1), at
Bradly.G.Winans@uscg.mil.
6. RDML W. R. Arguin, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy
(CG-5P), sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.