Melvin C. Broniman's Obituary
Melvin Carl Broniman (1931 – 2026) was born on April 28, 1931, in Aurora, Indiana, and died on July 20, 2026, in Solon, Ohio — the anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, often called “Moon Day.” His parents were Charles and Olga, nee Schmidt.
Mel was one of eight children and the last surviving of his family. He spent his youth in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1946 while still in high school, he worked at the Cincinnati Recreational Commission where he had many escapades. He also enjoyed riding the streetcars on week-ends getting to know his hometown. After WW2 ended, his family moved to Detroit, where Mel graduated from Southwest High School. Upon completing a year of ROTC at the University of Detroit, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a hydraulics instructor in Wichita Falls, Texas, from 1951 to 1955.
He went on to work as an electronic technician for the U.S. Lake Survey from 1956 to 1960, working on Lake Superior from April to November each year. These were among the fondest years in Mel's memories. Mel then spent the next 26 years in various roles at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (formerly Lewis Research Center), retiring as a technical supervisor in 1986. Projects included work at the Rocket Engine Test Facility (RETF) conducting experiments in support of the space program for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Mel also worked on the Communications Technology Satellite (CTS) Project. For its efforts, the team at Lewis Research Center was awarded an Emmy by the television industry.
In 1959, he married Mary Ann Sekerak of Cleveland, Ohio, after meeting her the previous summer at Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Together they had one daughter, Carol Ann Mandato. Mel enjoyed his many nieces and nephews through the years and was extremely proud of his grand-daughter, Carmen Marie.
Through his life Mel always had a buddy, that one person for sharing life's adventures. Paul, Harold, Tony, Harry, Gus, Oscar and Tom - thank you for being a friend.
Following Mel's wishes, there will be no services.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation Enhancement Fund in memory of Melvin Broniman, online at https://clevelandmetroparks.com/giveonline or mailed to Cleveland Metroparks, 4101 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44144.
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