Obituary of James R. Melinson

MELINSON, Honorable James Robert. The Honorable James R. Melinson, former Chief United States  Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, died  peacefully on May 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, after a prolonged battle with pulmonary  fibrosis. Judge Melinson, born in 1939 in the Juniata Park section of Northeast Philadelphia, lived a  remarkable life defined by love, laughter, family, faith, and friendship – and enjoyed a diverse and  rewarding career spanning many different roles, all of which involved serving others and building  strong and deep relationships with everyone he encountered. 

One of five children of Stanley and Margaret Melinson, he met his wife Monica when he was only 16  years old and they were both part of the parish community at Holy Innocents. That relationship  would last for almost 70 years, resulting in three children and eight grandchildren. He won a  scholarship to La Salle College High School, where he met passionate and dedicated educators whom  he credited for changing the trajectory of his life. His education at the hands of the Christian  Brothers continued at La Salle College -- and upon his graduation from college, he became a  lieutenant in the United States Army’s field artillery division, beginning a career which would be  dominated by public service. 

When he returned from his Army service, he became an English teacher at Olney High School, and  later Olney’s vice principal. While serving full-time in that capacity, he was awarded a scholarship to law school at Temple University’s evening division, graduating in 1968. Upon graduation, he was  randomly assigned to serve a preceptorship under the then-leader of Philadelphia’s Republican  Party, William Austin Meehan. His relationship with Billy Meehan, and his association with the law  firm of Meehan and Stoelker was something of which he was inordinately proud. He became a  citizen-lawyer who embraced the term “politician” because he believed in constituent service and  believed he could make the world better for others. He also believed in working hard to find  common ground with everyone, including his political rivals. He ran unsuccessfully for City Council in  Philadelphia in 1975, but went on to practice law for many years, including serving as the Chief Labor  Negotiator for the School District of Philadelphia. It was during the 1970s that he began wearing  three-piece suits – a practice he continued for so long that they briefly came back into style several  times thereafter (and he regularly carried a small, booklet-form copy of the United States  Constitution in his vest pocket to re-read during lulls in the action). 

In the late 1980’s, he was appointed by Democratic Governor Robert Casey to fill a vacancy on the  Superior Court of Pennsylvania. After completing that term, he was appointed by the judges of the  Eastern District to become a Magistrate Judge, a role which he described as his dream job. He  enjoyed a varied docket, but more than anything else, he enjoyed working with litigants to resolve  cases before trial via mediation. He turned out to be a natural-born mediator, whose gift for  building rapport with litigants and lawyers alike made him the top choice for countless parties  (including Don King, Master P, and the City of Scranton…) who wanted their complex matters  resolved expeditiously. He became famous for his unique brand of shuttle diplomacy, which often  involved sequestering parties for hours on end, depriving them of cell phones, and working through  the night to understand the needs and motivations of each party and each lawyer. It was no  surprise, then, that upon his retirement from the bench at age 65, he opened the Philadelphia office  of JAMS Dispute Resolution (the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service) and expanded its Philadelphia presence for the next 18 years, adding more talented mediators. He retired from JAMS at the age of 83. 

Judge Melinson managed to weave his busy career in public service seamlessly into a rich and  fulfilling personal life. With his wife Monica (whom he regularly described as “my trophy wife of 62  years”), he raised three children whose careers all included stints in public service. He was 

particularly proud of his late son Keith’s graduation from the United States Military Academy at  West Point and his career of service to our country in the U.S. Army and the Federal Bureau of  Investigation. He and Monica were blessed with eight grandchildren, whose exploits were often the  cause for loud and memorable laughter from the man they knew only as “Jimmer.” He was an  enthusiastic (if not particularly gifted) golfer, who invented the concept of the “preferred judicial  lie,” by which anyone finding his ball (often a difficult task) was encouraged to feel free to move it  thirty or forty feet and place it on a particularly attractive tuft of grass. There was not a part of life  he did not enjoy, and there was not a funny story he did not relish retelling numerous times. His  Irish baritone could be heard in the next county, and he spent a significant portion of the day before  his passing debating whether the word “Herculean” should most appropriately be pronounced with  the emphasis on the second syllable or the third. He would tell you that he lived a charmed  existence, and he truly did. Those who were lucky enough to cross paths with him did as well…. 

Judge Melinson is survived by his wife Monica; his son Gregg Melinson (Pamela) of Gwynedd Valley,  PA; daughter Megan McDonough (William) of Glenside, PA; grandchildren JP Melinson, Austin  Melinson, Aidan Melinson, Luke Melinson, Kaitlyn Melinson, MollyKate McDonough, Liam  McDonough, and Mairead McDonough; sister Mary Louise Hoelscher; brother Dennis (MaryAnn);  and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Keith T. Melinson; his  parents, Stanley G. and Margaret Reardon Melinson; his brother Stanley G. Melinson, Jr. (Mary); and  his sister, Margaret “Peggy” Sweeney. 

The family will welcome visitors at St. Helena Roman Catholic Church, 1489 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell,  PA 19422 on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., after which a Mass of Christian  Burial will be celebrated. Donations in Judge Melinson’s memory may be made to La Salle College  High School (Keith Melinson Wrestling Center), 8605 Cheltenham Avenue, Wyndmoor, PA 19038.