LaFAYETTE — Mr. Melvin Lewis Houston Sr., 85, of Chicago, Ill. and formerly of Wadley, Ala. died Thursday, December 21, 2017 at Kindred Hospital in Hammond, Ind.

Funeral services will be held at Vines Funeral Home Chapel, LaFayette, Ala. on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 11 a.m. CST with Senior Pastor Bob Rice officiating. Interment will be in Mt. Olive United Methodist Church cemetery, Wadley.

Visitation with the family will be from 10 a.m. CST until the funeral hour in the chapel.

Mr. Houston was born April 13, 1932 in Wadley to the late Willie Lee and Willie Mae Houston. He attended Randolph County Training School until  1952, when he enlisted in the U.S. armed forces, where he obtained his high school diploma. Mr. Houston spent 23 years with Challenger Car Company. After Challenger relocated, he spent 12 years with Rivera Transformer Company, where he retired. His work experience consisted primarily of coil winding and supervising coil winding departments.

Mr. Houston was admired for his no nonsense approach to life. His impeccable taste for fashion left a lasting impression on everyone.

He is survived by his devoted wife of  63 years, Martha Houston, Chicago; three children, Melvin Houston, Jr., and Beverly Houston, both of Chicago, and Patricia (Dr. James) Guess, Dallas, Texas; two sisters, Barbara (Rev. James) Wright, LaFayette and Beatrice Watson, Montgomery, Ala.;  one brother: Charlie Houston. Montgomery, Ala.; three grandsons, four great grandsons and a host of other relatives and friends.

To share your online condolences, please visit our website at www.vinesfuneralhome.com

Vines Funeral Home, Inc., LaFayette, is directing.