Kevin "Crash" Dean McCollum

Gone too soon, Kevin “Crash” Dean McCollum, born July 27, 1955, in Louisville, KY, died unexpectedly and quietly in his home on March 25, 2025. He is survived by his close-knit siblings, Karen (Ray) Nethery, Kathy (Bill) Moyer, Keith (Susan) McCollum, Kerry (Charlotte) McCollum and Kay (Mark/BlueGill) Dale. Kevin loved all his cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara Dean Elder McCollum and William “Chick” Leonard McCollum, and by his beloved cat of 22 years, “Ohio”. Kevin graduated in 1973 from Bishop David High School, after which he served in the Army. Kevin then worked 29 years in public service, most of which were at Central State Hospital. He worked in maintenance, security, and as a clerk in payroll. After moving to Frankfort, he worked as a senior Medicaid specialist, accountant and retired in the Health Services División of Epidemiology in 2004. He was honored with certificates for Faithful Loyal Service and Distinction Career Employee. Moving back to Louisville, he worked at Stry-Lenkoff printing company for 12 years as a machinist and pressman. He then worked for Dollar General Store and eventually became an acting manager helping at several locations. Kevin was known throughout his community as a “fix-it guy”, which he loved. He had a wide range of expertise and if he wasn’t sure about how to fix something, he would extensively research it until he was confident he could fix whatever was needed, from plumbing, cars, trucks, roofs, and getting varmints out of attics, etc… Kevin had a heart of gold! He loved helping others. When he saw a need, he would help, whether it was cutting grass for a neighbor, recovering blown away trash cans, shoveling snow, or picking up trash from streets and sidewalks around the neighborhood to keep it clean for all. After his death his landlord said, “Kevin was the pillar of the corner: policeman, fireman, and maintenance man all rolled into one”. People felt safer knowing Kevin was around. He could deescalate a situation with his calm demeanor and kind soul. He adored the Ohio River, or any body of water basically, whether it be for fishing, swimming, boating, or just soaking up the sunshine. He was a certified scuba diver and loved diving with his brother Kerry. He was an avid sci-fi novel reader. He loved riding his bicycle and his motorcycle, Bandit (which is where he got his nickname, “Crash’). Above all else, he loved his family. He was instrumental in keeping his siblings and extended family together by calling, texting, leaving messages, and keeping in touch regularly. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEFRIENDING AND LOVING OUR KEVIN. HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED!!! Kevin’s Celebration of Life will be held at Owen Funeral Home Dixie Saturday, April 26th, 2025. Service 10:00-11:00 a.m. Anyone wanting to speak or tell “Kevin stories” are more than welcome. Wake to follow service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, because Kevin loved helping others and was proud of his military service ,his family asks friends and family to donate to the following charities. The donation links have been provided below: Dare to Care https://donate.daretocare.org DAV (Disabled American Veterans) https://helpdav.org Louisville Homeless Coalition https://louhomeless.org

Kevin "Crash" Dean McCollum

July 27, 1955 - March 25, 2025