Jack Melchor, a key figure in the early days of Silicon Valley and a generous benefactor to El Camino Hospital, died Sept. 5 at his Los Altos Hills home, surrounded by family. Mr. Melchor was 90.
Mr. Melchor, along with his late wife Norma, were staunch supporters of the hospital, donating millions of dollars to its operations for more than 50 years. Norma, who died in 2012, served on the hospital board for 16 years. El Camino’s Melchor Pavilion, built on land donated by the Melchors, is named in recognition of their contributions.
The Mooresville, N.C. native was an early high-tech innovator, entrepreneur and successful venture capitalist. The founder of Melabs and Hewlett-Packard Associates, Mr. Melchor pioneered the development of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as well as microwave technologies. As a venture capitalist, he invested in 3Com, Triad Systems and Rolm.
For their collective achievements, Mr. Melchor and his wife were named the Town Crier’s Los Altans of the Year for 2007.
Watch for the full story in the Sept. 16 print edition of the Town Crier.
