 Frank E. Meek, Jr. 1919 ~ 2007 Public Television Pioneer Frank E. Meek, Jr, of Caldwell, Idaho and Indianapolis, Indiana has died in Salt Lake City. He was 87. Born in Caldwell, Idaho in 1919, to Frank E. and Edith F. Meek, he graduated from Caldwell High School and then attended the University of Oregon, graduating with a BS degree in journalism in 1941. Meek enlisted in the Army Air Corps in August, 1941 and spent the war years at Douglas Air Field, Arizona, then Marcus Island and Saipan in the Pacific Theater. After the war, his assignments included several in the continental U.S. as well as France and Germany. His final assignment before retiring as a Colonel, after a distinguished 31 year Air Force career was as commandant of the Defense Information School in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was hired as general manager and vice president of the fledgling Indianapolis PBS affiliate, WFYI, in 1972 and helped to guide the broadcast enterprise, including the NPR radio component, creating a leading broadcast institution, recognized nationally for its innovative content and superior programming, winning Emmy(r) nominations for original shows with national distribution. He retired from WFYI in 1989 after 17 years, but continued to work with Meals on Wheels until his departure for Salt Lake City in 2005. Meek belonged to the Mt. Moriah Lodge AF & AM, (Idaho), the Retired Officers Association, and American Legion Post 510. He was a member of St. David's Episcopal Church in Caldwell. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret (Peg) Meek, sons, Frank E. Meek 3rd (Leslie) and Dr. Sanford G, Meek (Lynn), two grandchildren, Chantal Meek and Joseph Meek and one great-grandchild, Ethan McGrath. The family requests donations in his name to be made to Utah Public Television, to St. David's Episcopal Church in Caldwell or to a charity of your choice.
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Published in Salt Lake Tribune on Feb. 28, 2007
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