Obituary of James Russell Melvin

Surrounded by family, James Russell Melvin passed away at the age of 73 on April 1, 2016 of advanced dementia due to Alzheimers and other complications. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Born on July 18th, 1942 in Holly Grove, West Virginia,"Jim" was the youngest of 5 children. Joining as a teenager, he served in the US Navy from 1959-1962. In 1961, he was married to the love of his life, Carolyn, and started a family of his own. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he was a hardworking carpenter for several years before being sidelined with a serious back injury, creating an important turning point in his life. Not to be held back, Jim pursued his own American Dream and bought a neighborhood convenience store which he and the family ran for a few years. This engendered his entrepreneurial spirit for what was to come next. Jim sold the store to pursue what would become his life's passion: a successful business dealing in jewelry and fine collectibles in all shapes and sizes. With an extraordinary work ethic, Jim was always the first in line when a business opportunity presented itself. He quickly became the quintessential expert in collectibles of all kinds. He was indeed a one-of-a-kind "American Picker". Recreationally, Jim loved to play poker and other card games. He was an avid sports fan and particularly enjoyed boxing. He was a member of the Lynhurst Masonic Lodge #723 F & AM of Indianapolis, IN and Valley of Norwich and attained Scottish Rite status as a Freemason. He was also a member of the Blinded Veterans Association, and a member of the American Legion. He loved family gatherings and spending quality time with others. He was a devoted family man and leaves behind a legacy of success in whatever he chose to do. He invested a great deal of time mentoring family members and so generous with countless others and helping them to succeed. Jim is survived by many family members including, but not limited to:Carolyn, his remarkably devoted wife of nearly 55 years, his 3 children James Michael, Terry and Lisa, his 8 grandchildren: Jim, Joe,Carrie, Jeanie, Michael, Megan, Sarah, and Matthew, and 4 great grandchildren: Lily, Seth, Hunter, and Max, his sister Belva and her 2 children Debbie and Linda, and especially his favorite mother-in-law Winifred. He is also survived by so many close extended family members including his nephew and his wife: Ronnie and Barbara, his nieces Terry and Alisa, and so many many others in his large family tree. A large gathering of Friends & Family is being planned to celebrate Jim's life just the way he would want it. The event will be held in Connecticut, near the Naval base where Jim was stationed, sometime this summer likely near his birthday on July 18th. More information will be provided at a later date as plans evolve. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the following worthy cause: Nevada Veterans Assistance League (In Memory of James Melvin) 100 Veterans Memorial Drive Henderson, Nevada 89005 501(c)(3) Tax ID #200885008, Gifts to NVAL are Tax Deductible