Lani Melvin worked at the Chamber for nearly three decades

For nearly three decades, Lani Melvin was the first face people saw when they stepped inside the Louisville Chamber of Commerce, and once she met you, she never forgot you.

Melvin began working as administrative assistant at the chamber in 1986 alongside former chamber executive director Eugene Caranci, who served in that capacity for 20 years.

"She was an excellent secretary. She knew everybody and she was a great friend. When someone walked in, she greeted them with a smile. She was just outstanding," he said.

Melvin, 70, died Thursday, March 20, at Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center, from a stroke she suffered the Monday before. She is survived by her sons, Chris Melvin of Louisville, and Scott Melvin of Berthoud, daughter,Ginger Fielder of Broomfield, and four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Chamber director Shelley Angell said working with Melvin eight hours a day for the past 17 years made them like family, and Melvin never talked about retiring from her post, because she loved her job and her city.

She had an uncanny way of recalling details about people when she ran into them on the street, or already knew a chamber visitor because she simply recognized a family resemblance, Angell said.

"She didn't know a stranger. She never forgot a face. If they came in once and came in again, she remembered them," Angell said. "She was the friendliest and most warm person I know. Working with her was amazing."

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In addition to the daily operations at the Chamber of Commerce, Melvin