Robert S. Mellis dies: journalist, teacher, traveler

Advertisement

KENT, Conn.–A retired journalist and former publisher, Robert S. Mellis, age 84, passed away Jan. 31, 2025. 

Robert was known for his love of storytelling, both through writing and spoken stories. Born in Inverness, Scotland, to Mary and Alexander Mellis, he was educated at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.

He began his long journalism career as a “copy boy” for The Scotsman, the national newspaper, and later worked for a group of weekly newspapers becoming a photographer, reporter and later an editor at age 19. He emigrated to the United States in 1961 to take a position as a copy editor at the Portsmouth Herald in New Hampshire. 

Robert worked for several well-known newspapers in various capacities across the United States. He was the news features editor at The St. Petersburg Times in the 1970s and later became the graphic arts director at The Miami Herald. He served as the managing editor at the Allentown Morning Call.

He was especially proud of the work he did as publisher and CEO of Housatonic Valley Publishing Co., in New Milford, Conn. Robert grew the five-weekly newspaper group to seven newspapers and the flagship paper, The New Milford Times, was chosen as the best weekly newspaper by New England Press Association in 1989. The group of papers acquired 282 awards under his leadership.

Deciding to retire early at age 60, he and his beloved wife, Jo, moved aboard a sailboat and spent seven years cruising the east coast of the U.S. and the Bahamas. The two were great travelers and ultimately decided to move back onto land to a motorhome and succeeded in visiting all 50 states. Robert put his extensive photographic skills to use and captured beautiful images throughout his travels.

Later in life, he discovered a love of teaching journalism in various parts of the world. He ultimately visited 21 countries. As a Visiting Knight Fellow, Robert went to Namibia, Africa, to assist journalists at The Namibian newspaper and they invited him back for a second stint. He also served as director of the Southeast Asia Media Center based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he lived with Jo for a year and taught young journalists from Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar how to write truthful stories and navigate authoritarian governments.

He is remembered for his humorous outlook on life and his staunch love of news and local journalism.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret “Jo” Mellis of Kent; daughters Lynn (John) Mellis Worthington of Kent and Stephanie (Alessandro) Bertoni of Colchester, Vt.; granddaughters Cassandra Worthington (Mark Patronella) of Maryland, Trisha Worthington (Derek Byrne) of Rhode Island, Isabella Bertoni of New York City; grandson Graham Bertoni of Los Angeles, Calif.; brother William (Diedre) Mellis of England; and sister Rose Hogg of Ontario, Canada.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Kent Volunteer Fire Department, which was very helpful in the last year of his life, PO Box 355, Kent, CT 06757. A Celebration of his Life memorial service will be held at St. Andrew’s Church in Kent Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.