Some people leave the world a little quieter than they found it. Bobby Ray Melder wasn’t one of those people. When news of his passing spread through Lebanon, Tennessee, in the spring of 2024, people who’d walked into his store just to buy a greeting card found themselves unexpectedly grieving. That’s the kind of man he was. And in searching for the Bobby Melder and Arita-Alvarado obituary, you’re already doing what mattered to him most — you’re showing up for the people you care about.
This tribute is for those who knew him, loved him, and are looking to understand the full story of his life. It’s also for anyone searching for information about Arita-Alvarado, whose name has been connected to Bobby’s in online searches and who deserves to be remembered with the same care and detail.
Who Was Bobby Ray Melder?
Bobby Ray Melder was born on March 20, 1961, in DeQuincy, Louisiana. He was the youngest of six children — and if you’ve ever been the baby of the family, you already know there’s something different about people who grow up that way. They tend to be charming. They tend to be social. Bobby was both.
Early Life and Louisiana Roots
DeQuincy is a small town in Calcasieu Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It’s the kind of place where people know your name, where front porches still mean something, and where family ties run deep. Bobby grew up surrounded by siblings — JoAnn, Jimmie, Johnny, Francis, Sue, and Jackie — and that sense of closeness never left him, even after life pulled him hundreds of miles north.
When work eventually relocated Bobby to Tennessee, he didn’t drift away from his Louisiana family. He stayed close to his sisters throughout his life, calling and visiting regularly. That loyalty — that refusal to let geography get in the way of love — became a defining thread in everything Bobby did.
A Career Built on Dedication — From Warehouse Floor to Vice-President
Bobby’s professional story is the kind that gets told at retirement dinners. He started at AmerisourceBergen on the warehouse floor. No corner office. No assistant. Just hard work, long hours, and a willingness to do whatever the job required. Over the years, that dedication was impossible to ignore, and he worked his way up to Vice-President in charge of a distribution warehouse.
It’s a career arc that doesn’t happen by accident. It takes years of showing up, proving yourself, and earning the trust of people above and below you. Bobby did all of that, and he did it without losing the warmth that made him so easy to be around.
The Heart Behind Deede’s Hallmark
After retiring from AmerisourceBergen, Bobby could have slowed down. Most people would. Instead, he bought Hermitage Stationers and transformed it into Deede’s Hallmark — named after his wife of 31 years.
What’s remarkable isn’t just that he started a new venture in retirement. It’s how he ran it. Bobby didn’t manage the store from a distance. He was there — talking with customers, learning their names, sharing stories. His employees became family. His regulars became friends. Members of special organizations like the Music City Ornament Club came to rely on the store as more than a place to shop; it was a place where they felt genuinely welcomed.
That’s the difference between a business owner and someone who truly loves what they do.
Bobby Melder’s Passions and Personality
Ask anyone who knew Bobby Melder what he was like, and you’ll probably hear the same few things over and over again. He loved the New Orleans Saints. He loved Jimmy Buffett. He loved Corvettes. And he absolutely could not resist a dog.
The Saints, Jimmy Buffett, and Three Dogs He Couldn’t Leave Behind
Bobby’s enthusiasm for the New Orleans Saints was the kind that doesn’t need an explanation — if you’re from Louisiana, the Saints aren’t just a football team. They’re a way of life. Bobby carried that passion with him to Tennessee, which takes a certain kind of conviction in SEC country.
Jimmy Buffett’s music has a way of making you feel like it’s always a little warm and a little late in the afternoon, no matter where you are. That easy, generous spirit matched Bobby well. And Corvettes — well, there’s a reason people fall in love with American classics. It’s not about the car. It’s about what it represents: craftsmanship, history, and a little bit of joy.
Then there were the dogs. Bobby, by his family’s account, never met a dog he didn’t immediately want to take home. At the time of his passing, he had three. That detail, more than almost any other, says something about a person’s character. Dogs don’t care about titles or income brackets. They just know when someone’s heart is open.
Why Everyone Who Knew Bobby Loved Him
It wasn’t any single quality. It was the combination — the warmth, the humor, the loyalty, the genuine interest in the people around him. Bobby was the kind of person who made you feel like the most interesting person in the room. He was an amazing father, husband, brother, and friend. That’s not marketing language from a funeral home template. That’s just the truth about Bobby Melder.
Family, Survivors, and Those Who Grieve
Who Bobby Melder Is Survived By
Bobby is survived by his wife of 31 years, Deede Melder, whose name he literally put on the store he built — because that’s how he showed love. He’s also survived by his daughter, Megan Melder, and his sisters Francis Budd (Lonnie), Sue Cathey (Gary), and Jackie Sumrall.
Those are the names in the official record. But if you count the customers who cried when they heard the news, the employees who lost a mentor, and the friends who’ll think of him every time a Saints game comes on, the number of people Bobby left behind is much, much larger.
Preceded in Death — Family Bobby Left Behind Before His Passing
Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, Milton and Palmire Melder, as well as his siblings — sister JoAnn Melder and brothers Jimmie Melder and Johnny Melder. Bobby had already known loss before his own passing, which perhaps explains some of the depth of his appreciation for the people still with him.
Funeral and Memorial Service Details
Visitation, Funeral Service, and Interment Information
Bobby Ray Melder’s visitation was held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Hermitage Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens, located at 535 Shute Lane, Old Hickory, Tennessee 37138.
Funeral services followed on Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of Hermitage Funeral Home. Interment took place in the Garden of Memories at Hermitage Memorial Gardens.
If you were unable to attend in person and are looking for a way to honor Bobby’s memory now, see the section below on how to leave condolences and tributes online.
Remembering Arita-Alvarado — A Life Equally Worth Honoring
What We Know About Arita-Alvarado
The name Arita-Alvarado appears alongside Bobby Melder’s in searches, suggesting a connection — whether through community, friendship, or a shared memorial that brought these names together. While detailed public records for Arita-Alvarado are limited in currently available online sources, the fact that people are searching for them together speaks to the kind of bond that often exists between people who share a community, a neighborhood, or a life chapter.
What we know about people like Arita-Alvarado is usually found not in official documents, but in the memories of those who knew them — in stories told at kitchen tables, in photos passed around at memorials, in the quiet grief of those left behind.
The Community They Touched
When two names become linked in the way Bobby Melder’s and Arita-Alvarado’s have, it’s rarely by accident. Communities in Tennessee, Louisiana, and beyond have a way of honoring their own together — because that’s how the people who live there understand connection. It’s not about geography. It’s about impact.
If you have memories of Arita-Alvarado and would like to share them, consider reaching out to Hermitage Funeral Home or leaving a note in an online memorial platform like Legacy.com or Dignity Memorial, where tributes can be added publicly and preserved for families.
How to Honor Their Memory
Sending Flowers or Condolences Online
You don’t have to have been at the funeral to show that you care. Online memorial platforms make it genuinely easy to send flowers, leave a note, or share a memory. Dignity Memorial’s obituary page for Bobby Melder allows visitors to add a memory, share the obituary, or send flowers directly to the family.
A good condolence message doesn’t have to be long. A sentence or two that speaks to a specific memory or quality you appreciated about the person is often more meaningful than a lengthy, formal note. Keep it real. Keep it personal.
Signing the Online Guestbook
Online guestbooks have become one of the most powerful tools for collective mourning. They create a permanent, searchable record of the love that surrounded someone’s life. If you knew Bobby or Arita-Alvarado and haven’t yet left a message, it’s not too late — these pages typically remain active indefinitely.
Making a Memorial Donation in Their Name
Another meaningful way to honor someone’s memory is through a charitable donation to a cause they cared about. For Bobby, given his love of animals, an animal rescue organization or dog shelter would be a fitting tribute. For Arita-Alvarado, check with the family for guidance on causes that were close to their heart.
What Makes a Meaningful Obituary?
The Difference Between a Death Notice and a Full Obituary
People often use these terms interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. A death notice is a brief, formal announcement of someone’s passing — it typically includes the name, date of death, and funeral service details. It’s functional, but it doesn’t tell a story.
A full obituary does something entirely different. It captures who someone was — their passions, their personality, their relationships, the way they moved through the world. It’s the difference between a headline and a biography.
Bobby Melder’s obituary, while relatively concise in its official form, is rich with personality. You can read it and actually see him — the Louisiana boy who became a Tennessee businessman, the dog lover, the Saints fan, the devoted husband and father.
How to Write an Obituary That Truly Reflects a Life
If you’re here because you’re trying to write an obituary for someone you’ve lost, here’s what helps: don’t start with the dates. Start with the person. What did they love? What made people laugh when they talked about them? What would they want the people reading it to feel?
Use specific details. “He loved dogs” is fine. “He had three dogs because he couldn’t stop bringing strays home” tells you who he was. Specificity is what turns an obituary into a memorial.
Keep it honest, keep it warm, and don’t be afraid to let some humor in if that’s who the person was. Bobby Melder probably would have preferred it that way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bobby Melder and Arita-Alvarado Obituary
Who was Bobby Ray Melder? Bobby Ray Melder was a 63-year-old man from Lebanon, Tennessee, originally born in DeQuincy, Louisiana. He passed away on May 21, 2024. He was a retired Vice-President from AmerisourceBergen and the owner of Deede’s Hallmark store in Hermitage, Tennessee.
Where did Bobby Melder live? Bobby lived in Lebanon, Tennessee at the time of his passing. He had relocated to Tennessee approximately 25 years before his death for work, though he was originally from DeQuincy, Louisiana.
Who is Arita-Alvarado in relation to Bobby Melder? The names Bobby Melder and Arita-Alvarado appear together in online search queries, suggesting a community or personal connection. However, detailed public records linking the two are limited, and the precise relationship is not fully documented in available online sources.
Where were Bobby Melder’s funeral services held? Bobby’s visitation was held on May 29, 2024, and his funeral service was on May 30, 2024, both at Hermitage Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens in Old Hickory, Tennessee.
Who survived Bobby Melder? Bobby is survived by his wife Deede Melder, his daughter Megan Melder, and three sisters — Francis Budd, Sue Cathey, and Jackie Sumrall.
How can I leave condolences for Bobby Melder’s family? You can visit the Dignity Memorial obituary page for Bobby Ray Melder at dignitymemorial.com to add a memory, share the obituary, or send flowers to the family.
What’s the difference between a death notice and an obituary? A death notice is a brief formal announcement, while an obituary is a fuller narrative tribute to a person’s life, character, and legacy. Bobby Melder’s obituary falls into the latter category, offering a genuine sense of who he was as a person.
How do I find out more information about Arita-Alvarado? Searching Legacy.com, local Tennessee or Louisiana newspaper archives, and funeral home websites is the best starting point. You can also try reaching out directly to Hermitage Funeral Home for guidance on related memorials.