David Pardee Melville, 84, a longtime Hyde Park resident, died on Sunday, August 23,

2026, at his home, with his family by his side.

Born on July 24, 1942, in Manhattan, he was the son of the late John Moncur Melville

and Kate Clark Melville. Although born in New York City, David was raised in Hyde

Park and spent nearly his entire life there, deeply rooted in the land and community he

loved.

David was a former member of the Pleasant Valley Lions Club and a proud member of

the Hibernia Canoe and Kayak Association. He loved flying—earning his pilot's license

and owning his own plane—and he found joy in skeet shooting, target practice, and

caring for his guns. He was also known for his dry sense of humor.

In his younger years, David delighted in playing hockey on the pond at the farm with his

son Mark's friends, a memory his son recalls with great fondness. Above all, David was

immensely proud of being a farmer. He cherished his land, his animals, and the work

itself. He would never have retired if his health had allowed; farming was not just his

livelihood, but his identity.

On April 18, 1965, at St. James' Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, David married the

former Mary E. Miller. Mrs. Melville survives at home.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children: Jane Elizabeth Melville of

Nantucket, MA; Kate Mary Whitman and her husband, David, of Bonita Springs, FL;

and Mark Jonathan Melville of Red Hook. He is also survived by three grandchildren—

Kate Schuyler Freed, Samantha Mary Freed, and Elizabeth Jane Freed, a great-

granddaughter, Carter Jane Hourhian, his sister, Sheila Melville of Hyde Park, sister

Michelle Melville of California, brother Scott Melville of California, nieces Leith Halliday,

Ashlyn Barton and Lorna Dreher, and several great-nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, David was predeceased by his brother, John William "Jock"

Melville.

Funeral services and burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

David's family respectfully requests memorial donations to The Lewy Body Dementia

Research Center Of Excellence at Stanford University, P.O. Box 20466, Stanford CA, 94309.

Arrangements are under the direction of Sweet's Funeral Home, Hyde Park.

To send an online condolence, please visit David's obituary page at

www.sweetsfuneralhome.com.