Joe Mellender was born on February 13, 1935, in Fairfax, Va. Joe joined the Navy in March 1955 and was discharged March 1959.
Joe joined the Alexandria Fire Department on June 1959 as a firefighter. He transferred to the Rescue Squad in December 1960 and then back to Firefighter in December of 1964. Joe was promoted to Lieutenant in June 1965 and to Captain in July 1973.
In January 1978, Joe resigned from the Alexandria Fire Department to accept a position as Battalion Chief with the City of Fairfax.
After back surgery in March 1993, he retired from the City of Fairfax Fire Department. Joe still does some work with Emergency Management for the State of Virginia.
Joe and his wife, Thelma, have three children and three grandchildren
One of the things he remembers most is the “togetherness” the Fire Department employees had.
Joe, thanks for being one of our Presidents.
