Martha Katherine “Kathy” Melton Malsam - Obituary

Martha Katherine “Kathy” Melton Malsam passed December 6, 2025 at the age of 90. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on July 21, 1935, to Richard Axum Melton and Martha Elizabeth Carroll Melton, Kathy was the eldest of eight children and grew up surrounded by a large and loving family.

After graduating from Fairpark High School, she attended nursing training at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, and completed the program in 1956. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Louisiana State University in 1960.

Kathy's adventurous spirit led her to head west to Denver, Colorado, where she spent over three decades as a dedicated nurse at the Veterans Administration Hospital. In 1965, she wed Lawrence A. Malsam, with whom she shared 59 happy years until his passing in August 2024. With great joy, they welcomed their daughter Laura Malsam into the world in 1972.

A true lover of nature, Kathy found peace and happiness in the Rocky Mountains, often exploring national parks and mountain towns with her family. Her passion for adventure and travel took her far and wide across the world, allowing her to experience different cultures while creating lifelong memories. In her retirement, she discovered a new passion for Japanese Bunka embroidery, becoming a skilled master in the art form. You could often find Kathy reading a new mystery on her Kindle while cozied up with a cup of tea. She was a devout Catholic and a long-time member of the Shrine of St. Anne Catholic Church.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Axum Melton and Martha Elizabeth Carroll Melton, her brother Richard “Dickie” Melton, as well as her husband, Lawrence A. Malsam. Kathy will be forever remembered and dearly missed by her daughter Laura Malsam, siblings: John (Martha) Melton, Pat (Linda) Melton, Mary Villemarette, James (Carol)Melton, Roberta (Lynne) Melton, and Michael Melton, life-long friends Judy Grenfell, Linda Snodderly as well as extended family, and friends.