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Obituary: Mel Rashkis

Posted on November 13, 2008 by Staff

Mel RashkisFormer Chapel Hill business leader and realtor Melvin “Mel” F. Rashkis, died Saturday, at the age of 90, at UNC Hospitals. He passed away after suffering from a bout of recent illnesses.

Mel, who was born in Brooklyn, NY, lived as a youth in Canada and moved to Cleveland, where he met Zora, then moved to Chapel Hill in the early 1960s. For many years, his firm, Mel Rashkis and Associates, was the largest real estate firm in Chapel Hill. Among his business and civic leadership roles, he served as the president of the Board of Realtors and president of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.

He and his wife, Zora, now retired from her role as a legendary middle school teacher, achieved such prominence for their support of the public schools that the elementary school in Meadowmont is named the Mel and Zora Rashkis Elementary School.

Mel Rashkis served for many years as the volunteer Chairman of the Board of the Village Companies Community Foundation, a community oriented foundation that dispensed hundreds of grants, generally small, to a wide variety of local causes.

He is survived by his wife, Zora Rose Rashkis of Chapel Hill; his daughter and son-in-law, Jill and Alan Goldman of Raleigh; his son, Peter Rashkis of Chapel Hill; grandchildren, Brian Goldman, Betsy Goldman, Melissa Rouse, Guinevere Coronado and Ren Rashkis and great grandchildren, Jared Goldman, Ben Goldman, Jane Rouse and Austin Rouse.

Graveside funeral services were held on Monday in the Judea Reform Cemetery, Jones Ferry Road, Chapel Hill. Officiating was be Rabbi John Friedman.

Instead of flowers, donations may be made to the Mel & Zora Elementary School, 601 Meadowmont Lane, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 or Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd., Durham, NC 27705.

Howerton & Bryan Funeral Home in Durham is assisting the Rashkis family.

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