James Melvin Skees

Son of the late Charles Lee Skees and Margaret Fern Smith Skees, he is survived by his wife of 57 years, Donna (Martin) Skees, his daughters Lori Skees Rupert (Paul) and Suzanne Skees, and grandchildren Emily, Blake, Clinton and sister in law, Laraine Skees. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Smith Skees.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Murray State University, he was drafted to the United States Army where he was a Sergeant in the 1st Calvary Division serving in Vietnam. He started his career at Central and Southern Motor Freight Tariff Association in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1993, an opportunity to join Roadway in Akron, Ohio was presented to him, so he and Donna made the move to Green, Ohio. After 8 years when his division was acquired by FedEx, he was transferred to FedEx World Headquarters in Collierville, Tennessee. He retired from a successful and respected career in Information Technology at FedEx and settled into a steady routine of golf and fishing at Pickwick Lake.

If you wanted to spend time with Mel, you would have to first check his golf calendar as most weeks he was on the golf course 5 days, but after his cancer diagnosis, he ended up cutting back to only 4 days. If he wasn’t playing golf, you would then need to check his breakfast calendar and while he was happy for you to join him, he was also just as happy to enjoy his sausage and biscuits on his own.

He was a tall and quiet man who was a sturdy presence in the lives of his wife and daughters. Always willing to solve a problem or fix whatever was broken, he was infinitely patient and calm with the inevitable ups and downs of life with girls.

There wasn’t a problem he couldn’t solve – whether it was his daily puzzles, tackling a home improvement project or dealing with the latest technology, he wouldn’t stop until he figured it out.

He enjoyed traveling with Donna and was grateful to have the opportunity to visit China, India, Ireland, Europe, Hawaii and many other places.

He served his community in many ways including serving as treasurer for his neighborhood homeowner’s association, but he was especially proud of his role as the Chairman of the 17th Green Hospitality Committee during the FedEx St. Jude Golf Championship.

He will be remembered for his quiet nature, kind heart, and love for both his family and the game of golf. He will be deeply missed.

A visitation for Mel will be held Monday, June 30, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Collierville Funeral Home, 3863 BAILEY STATION RD, Collierville, TN 38017, followed by a celebration of life service at 3:00 PM with reception following.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where this would have been his 15th year volunteering for the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Mel's Fundraising Page:

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=6646449&fr_id=160619&pg=personal&fbclid=IwY2xjawLKns9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFZcVdWZ0plc3FKREx4VXBqAR6wKVvPoS2DS4y4jzaeckM1TUs_IVNK53gEwvvteth76snTDyBNK5jLNr5tiw_aem_YuJcqFBCjut1Lax-4yzBOA