James Harold Melton, faithful and loving husband, father of three and grandfather to six, passed away on August 12th, 2024, at the age of 93 in Hawaii. He met his Savior face-to-face; what a day of rejoicing for Dad! Jim was born March 25th, 1931 on a farm in southeast Missouri to Issac and Ada. He was the youngest of four boys and lost both of his parents at an early age. Neighbors and relatives jumped into help; still, growing up without parents had a big impact on those boys’ lives. It was as a young teenager that Jim realized he could not fix the hole in his heart and accepted Christ as his Savior. The four boys had returned to live on the farm together, learning the value of hard work. That work ethic and the skills learned would serve him well throughout his life. Dad was a great athlete and strong student and the only one from his family to go to college. He worked his way through college and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1953. He immediately volunteered for the Air Force rather than be drafted. He was then selected for navigator training and subsequently selected for instructor assignments after finishing number one in a class of 150.Jim met Bonnie at a small-town church revival when home on leave one weekend and he asked her out for a coke after the service. Soon after, he was sent to Japan and after a long-distance courtship, they were married on August 4, 1956. They moved to Nashville and all three of their children, Lance, Joy and Cindy, were born there. It was there they began a life together focused on actively supporting the local church and being mission and gospel centered. Jim saw God’s hand on his military career and could entertain for hours with stories of his assignments, many of which were previously classified. Whether it was the days of recovering deorbiting satellites or other critical assets requiring precise navigation skills or managing a strategic function of a supply base in Vietnam with the Viet Cong nearby, he felt God’s very clear presence and peace. He also enjoyed the many travel opportunities provided by the military including his final tour to Hawaii in 1968.Jim retired after 20 years of service and to enhance his love of helping others decided to get his Masters in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Hawaii. A few years later, they felt a strong call to go to China where they ministered for 27 years. There they had the privilege to lead many to Christ, and God used them mightily to disciple and train leaders for His kingdom work. Their impact on many Chinese believers continues to this day, many who are now teaching and leading others to Christ despite challenging circumstances. The light on his face and the break in his voice when he would tell stories about relationships built there, clearly revealed the passion he felt for these precious believers. Dad faithfully cared for his wife, Bonnie, for 10 years after she was diagnosed with vascular dementia. He would want you, if you don’t know Jesus as Savior, to one day experience the perfect faithfulness of God. He is survived by his three children, James Lance Melton (Jayni), Joy Roberts, and Cindy Nakamura (Kane),and their six grandchildren, Jennifer Melton, Jeffrey Melton, Jillian Roberts, Jonathan Roberts (Kate), Sara Somero (Justin), and Matthew Nakamura. He was preceded in death by his father, Issac, mother, Ada, his three older brothers, Louis (Pearl), Jewell (Rita) and Robert (Cathy) and his son-in-law Jim Roberts. Jim’s Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on September 7th at Daybreak Church in Kailua. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to a mission sending organization. Two that Dad gave to faithfully: Creative Access Bible Translation, literacy and Bible translation to an unreached people group in China DFEPTHBibTran – Free Methodist Church – USA (fmcusa.org) or Care4MORE, a ministry focused on the Philippines, where Dr. James Melton, Jim’s son, is the Executive Director. C.A.R.E.4More (care4more.org)
James Harold Melton
