Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Lambert Sr., Melvin L. June 14, 2005 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Renfrow dianel14@gmail.com February 5, 2016, 9:22 am Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Friday, June 24, 2005 NORFOLK - Hard work and Melvin Lambert Sr. crossed paths early. Lambert was 6, maybe 7, when he got his first job - delivering fruits and vegetables after school and on Saturdays from his dad's horse-driven cart. "The message he learned was that if you wanted something, you had to work for it," said his daughter, Charlotte Wilson. "Life was something you worked at." Except for Sundays - which were for church, dinner and piling the family in the car for a ride in the country - there weren't many days that Lambert, who died June 14 at the age of 83, wasn't hard at work or making life better for others. Melvin Lambert was born at home, in a back bedroom, one of nine children, not long before the Depression. "There wasn't any money or job opportunities back then," said Dr. John Foster, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church. "But he didn't let circumstances stop him." After high school, Lambert went to work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He stayed 32 years, except for a World War II Army stint, where he became a hero to his platoon by decking the service's heavyweight boxing champ who had come to give an exhibition. For years, he operated Lambert's Bus Service, a one-bus fleet that rumbled through neighborhoods picking up shipyard workers who didn't have transportation. "It was a way for him to supplement his income," said his son, Melvin Jr. "But he also saw it as a way to help others support their families." He also used the bus to ferry church members to picnics and beach outings. He passed on his work ethic to his two children. "He'd give us an allowance," said his daughter. "But, we had to work for it. And sometimes we'd have to chase him around the yard, yelling, 'Hey, Dad, what about our allowance?'" Lambert, who earned a college degree at 62, taught as a vocational technical skills instructor for Norfolk Schools and later at Tidewater Community College. "He wanted to give young people the skills to succeed," said his son. Although generous, Lambert, hardly ever spent money on himself. He instead used his hard-earned money investing in rental properties. His first purchase was a humble duplex at 1234 Maltby Ave. - the house where he was born . Reach Fred Kirsch at (757) 446-2484 or at postscripts@pilotonline.com Memo: Melvin L. Lambert Sr. 1921-2005 He believed in the value of hard work, whether it was on the job, teaching young people life skills or helping a neighbor with home repair. His first job was working on his father's horse-driven vegetable cart. Elaine, his wife of nearly 50 years, died in 1997. After suffering a stroke, he lived his last years with his son and caregiver, Melvin Jr. Additional Comments: Calvary Cemetery LAMBERT, MELVIN L (SR) 845 Section OLD CALVARY, Block A, Space 33 83 M 06/14/2005 IM File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/obits/l/lamberts10735gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/ File size: 3.4 Kb