Marty Melkus (age 66)
January 23, 2026

Born on November 12, 1959, our brother MOJO was relieved of his earthly suffering on the afternoon of January 23, 2026.  He died peacefully while resting at home, recovering from a fall earlier in the month.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Albin and Lucille and his lifelong friend Bill Rush.  He is survived by his siblings Janet  Heinrich, Brian, Laurie Rosplochowski, and Kathleen.

Martin never married and his family consisted of his band-mates from The Krash Ratz; David Hamilton, Kevin Tussley, and Elliot Chambers, and several close friends.  Those were his glory days.  He was the base player and loved to “bang that thang.”

As a boy, he once received a Christmas gift of a big yellow dump truck.  He spent the night twangin’ on the big red rubber band from the packaging.  That was the birth of MOJO.  The box-man sets the tone for the song.  (ex. intro to Food Stamps)  He was a big KISS fan and idolized Gene Simmons.  He chose Kiss lyrics as his motto:  “Firs I drink, then i smoke”, and that is exactly how he lived.  He was fiercely independent to the point of defiance.  He worked hard and he played hard.  We are thankful now that he will no longer suffer from the addiction disease that is hereditary in the family.  Now he can truly “Chill 4 Real”.  He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.  .

A memorial mass will be held at a later date