Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Rolando Vital Melendez Collarte, passed away peacefully at age 85 in his Mesquite home on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, surrounded by family. Rolando was born in Santiago de Chile on February 6, 1938, to Pedro Melendez Rodriguez and Ana Orfilia Collarte Turatto. He was the youngest of the family, following older sister Pelusa Godinez Melendez and brother Julio Melendez Collarte. Rolando grew up in Valparaiso, Chile, a port city in the central region of the country. He enjoyed a lifelong passion for Chilean Futbol beginning in childhood and was unfailingly loyal to the Universidad de Chile Futbol Club "La U", which he loved to speak about with anyone who would listen. He also loved to dance Cumbia, listen to Frank Sinatra songs, and joke with family and friends throughout his lifetime. Rolando married in 1958 at 20 years old and had 3 beautiful daughters. As a single father in the late 1960's, Rolando moved to the city of San Fernando, Chile, approximately 100 miles south of Santiago, where he met the love of his life, Gladys Urzua Arenas. Rolando and Gladys married in 1972, had 3 children together, and enjoyed a happy marriage for 51 years. In his professional life, Rolando worked for the Empresa Nacional del Petroleo (ENAP) as an Oil Refinery Supervisor for 20 years and later, after immigrating to the United States with his young family in 1980, Rolando worked for 18 years at the Dallas Housing Authority. Rolando is survived by his devoted wife Gladys; his children Doris LeBron, Patty Zuiga, Sandra Melendez, Rolando Melendez, Marcela Southerland, and Melissa Melendez; his sons- and daughter-in-law, Ray LeBron, Edgar Zuiga, Erin Melendez, and Chris Southerland; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by beloved grandson Jose Luis Cifuentes Melendez. A funeral service and celebration of Rolandos life will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 11:00am, at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, 14115 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75254. All friends and family are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the Melendez family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Rolandos name.