John “Kim” Melville

Kim Melville, 68, passed away peacefully on October 23, 2026, from congestive heart failure. He spent his final days at Franciscan Health Lafayette saying goodbye to family and friends. Kim professed no regrets.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Peggy (Hasser) Melville, his sister Deb, and brother Dave.  The surviving siblings are Jacquie, Bill, and Tom. Bill was his slight favorite. There are many nieces, nephews, and cousins who Kim loved sharing his hobbies with.

Kim was often self-employed and ran a heating and cooling company before becoming an HVAC technician at Purdue.

Kim attended Crouch Elementary and Tippecanoe Jr. High and was a 1976 graduate of Lafayette Jeff.  He loved the social aspects of school and made lifelong friends at every stage. He loved to point out how long he had known someone, and loyalty was important to him. He had many circles of friendships, built from the old neighborhood and beyond. He made an effort to keep them alive.  If there was an event, he would call to make sure that you were going to be there.  He was a devout Catholic and attended church regularly.

At an early age, while camping with his family at Knop Lake, Kim was introduced to motorcycles and adventure, and this set up the course for the rest of his life.

He bought his first house at age 19, and it was the smartest thing he ever did.  This, and his career choices, set him up to pursue his adventures.  Kim learned how to ride, how to crash, and how to keep his motorcycles functioning.  Stories of Kim’s adventures in motorcycle maintenance are legendary.  Stories of Kim’s exploits and crashes have already been passed down to a younger generation.  The mere mention of “the vantastic,” the “Kaw 900 and a cornfield,” and Officer Conner will release an endless stream of fond memories and laughter.  Kim pushed his dirt bike adventures west, and he loved Colorado and Utah. Road trips took him to Florida and Alaska and endless points in between.

Kim also loved to go hiking and camping, and boating.  He and his girlfriend Jenni would spend hours just floating down the Wabash. Jenni was the best thing that ever happened to him.  She shared his sense of adventure and wouldn’t take any of his nonsense.  They would haul a motorcycle on the back of an RV and continue an exploration of the west or grab a flight to take a hike in South America.

Kim recently took some flying lessons, just because he wanted to.  No regrets.

Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da, life goes on.

Visitation will held from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel, 400 Twyckenham Blvd. Lafayette, IN 47909.

Funeral mass will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, October 30, 2026 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Interment will follow at St. Boniface Cemetery.