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2020 Second Extraordinary Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 37
BY REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
Dr. Keith Patrick Melancon.
WHEREAS, Dr. Keith Patrick Melancon, a native of Hahnville, Louisiana, and a
resident of Des Allemands, Louisiana, was born to Dr. John Wayne Melancon and Jacquelyn
Melancon on April 7, 1964, and passed away peacefully on Monday, September 28, 2020;
and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon was a graduate of Hahnville High School and received
bachelor's and medical doctoral degrees from Louisiana State University; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon was a three-year letterman on the LSU football team and
started at offensive guard for the 1986 Southeastern Conference championship team; during
his tenure at LSU, he was named to the Academic All-SEC team three times and the
Academic All-American team in his senior season; his sons followed in his footsteps playing
football for Louisiana Tech and the University of Southern Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon completed an orthopedic residency at the University of
Mississippi Medical Center; he then joined Southern Bone and Joint Specialists, a private
orthopedic practice in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; he was one of four physicians who
recognized the need for Mississippi to have its first comprehensive musculoskeletal center,
and in 1998 he helped make that need a reality by helping design a fifty-seven thousand
square foot building to house the practice; today, Southern Bone and Joint Specialists is the
largest private orthopedic group in Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon served as president of the Mississippi Orthopedic Society
and as a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American
Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, the American Association for Hand Surgery, and the
Medical Group Management Association; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon was a department of orthopedics assistant professor at
LSU Medical School in New Orleans, and he served as the chief medical officer for the LSU
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Healthcare Network; he was named one of Louisiana's Top Doctors in 2012 and 2013, and
he was chosen as the Clinical Instructor of the Year in 2012 by the LSU Department of
Family Medicine; he was also named to the Top 40 Under 40 list by the Mississippi Business
Journal in 2003; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon was a genuine servant of the people; while working
through medical school, he often prayed for God's help, promising that he would return that
favor to anyone God sent his way; he kept that promise by always accepting patients and
even allowing them to pay him with vegetables, jelly, cakes, and even roosters; he regularly
made house calls and always possessed the gift of making each patient or friend feel like the
most important person in the world; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Melancon is survived by his wife, Susan L. Melancon; his children,
Drew Melancon, Dalton Melancon, Ayme Melancon, and Zachary Varnum; his mother,
Jacquelyn Melancon; his brothers, Dr. Eric J. Melancon, and his wife Karen; and David
Melancon, and his wife Anndrea; and his sisters, Julie Falla, and her husband Joe; and Dawn
Theriot, and her husband Brad; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Keith Patrick Melancon was a truly caring individual who devoted
his time and talents to helping others even when they could not afford medical care; he
represented what it means to be a Louisianian to the fullest extent, and he will be deeply
missed by all who knew and loved him.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express heartfelt condolences upon the death of Dr. Keith Patrick Melancon; does hereby
offer sincere gratitude to Dr. Melancon for his constant dedication to helping others who
were in need; and does hereby extend sincere hopes and wishes that his family, friends, and
loved ones find comfort during this difficult time.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the
family of Dr. Keith Patrick Melancon.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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