Floyd Alton Meldrum, 94, of Las Vegas, passed away August 22, 2026.

Floyd was born July 17, 1932, in Provo, Utah, to Vernal Leon Meldrum and Chloe Hansen. He was the youngest of four children and grew up during the Depression. His father was a skilled mechanic and steam-boiler engineer who loved farming, and his mother worked hard to make sure no one left their home hungry. Floyd often spoke about both of them, and their example stayed with him throughout his life.

After graduating from high school in 1950, Floyd worked in construction as a laborer, teamster and operating engineer. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the United States Army in Korea, where he was assigned to a tugboat operating in a Korean harbor. After returning home, he married Geraldine Ann "Jeri" Burton. While they raised their four daughters, Floyd attended the University of Utah and spent his summers working in the Las Vegas construction industry. He earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1962, and the family moved to Las Vegas that same year.

In 1962, Floyd established Southern Nevada Paving. Over the next four decades, the company grew from a paving contractor into a major Southern Nevada general engineering, paving, excavation, aggregate and construction-materials company.

Floyd and his employees helped build much of the Las Vegas Valley. Their work included major resorts on and off the Las Vegas Strip, as well as Clark County schools, Cashman Field, UNLV facilities, the Las Vegas Convention Center, airport runway and roadway expansions, and public infrastructure throughout Southern Nevada. By the time Floyd and Jeri sold Southern Nevada Paving in 2003, the business employed approximately 500 people.

Floyd remained hands-on throughout his years at Southern Nevada Paving. He was an engineer and equipment operator who could be found on jobsites, in the pits and on the machines. He knew his equipment, his jobs and his employees. If he saw potential in someone willing to work, he gave that person a chance and helped them move up. Many employees spent most or all of their careers with Southern Nevada Paving. Floyd took pride in the good living, benefits and opportunities the company provided to hundreds of employees and their families. More than 20 years after the company was sold, former employees still gather and talk about the "good old days" at SNP.

Floyd did not retire after selling Southern Nevada Paving. During his construction years, he and Jeri had acquired and begun developing several hundred acres of industrial property in North Las Vegas and Clark County. Through Meldrum Group, Floyd spent the final decades of his life developing that land, completing industrial and build-to-suit projects, attracting major employers to Southern Nevada and expanding the family's commercial real estate holdings. He remained involved in that work for the rest of his life.

Education mattered to Floyd and Jeri. Together, they contributed millions of dollars to higher education through scholarships, programs, laboratories and educational facilities. Their gifts included the Floyd and Jeri Meldrum Civil Engineering Building at the University of Utah. In 2011, the University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering named Floyd among its Distinguished Alumni. In 2017, the City of North Las Vegas proclaimed October 11 Floyd and Jeri Meldrum Day in recognition of their contributions to the community.

Business was Floyd's favorite hobby, but he always made time for his family. He was known for his remarkable memory, his stories, his love of tractors and heavy equipment, and the disposable camera he kept ready to photograph machines, employees and grandchildren. He enjoyed taking his grandchildren to jobsites and gravel pits, gathering the family for dinner or ice cream, hosting holidays at home and holding every new baby he could. He and Jeri were married for 68 years and were partners in nearly everything they did. He missed her deeply after her passing and spoke of her often.

Floyd will be remembered for working hard, expecting a lot, keeping his word and taking care of people. He was exacting, organized and rarely forgot a detail. He could be demanding, but he was fair and loyal. He left his mark throughout Southern Nevada, and he will be missed most as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, employer, teacher and friend.

Floyd was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Geraldine Ann "Jeri" Burton Meldrum; their daughter, Lore Meldrum; his brother, Leon Meldrum; and his sisters, Norma Witt and Dorthy Petersen.

He is survived by his daughters LeAnn Meldrum, Judy Jensen and Joyce Pearce; eight grandchildren, Jason, Jaime, Maria, Tiffany, David, Christopher, Kathrine and Jonathan; ten great-grandchildren; and many extended family members, friends, employees and former employees.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2701 E. Pebble Road, Henderson, Nevada 89074. Burial service is planned for 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 7, 2026, at Davis Memorial Park. Arrangements are by Davis Funeral Homes.