Donald Meyer

Donald F. Meyer, aged 98, passed away peacefully on October 2, 2025, in Toms River, NJ. Born in Teaneck, NJ, in 1927, Don lived a life defined by steadiness, wit, and devotion—to his work, his family, and above all to Viola Adelaide Meyer (nee Edwards), his wife of 75 years, who predeceased him in 2023.

True to form, Don showed up just when he was needed—or, as he liked to joke, a little too late to fight but right on time to end the war. Don enlisted in the navy in April 1945 when the Germans surrendered. Then, when he went to boot camp, the Japanese surrendered. Don liked to say he ended the war because they knew he was coming.

Soon after his service, Don's next great adventure began. Don and Vi first met as teenagers at Fort Lee High School and they married in 1948. Their romance would stretch across decades, states, and seasons—rooted in the homes they built together in Westwood, NJ; Lake Worth, FL; and on Fishers Island, NY. The island became their shared heart: a place of family gatherings, sea breezes, and the quiet rhythm of island life. Vi found joy in community and service; Don, in keeping everything running. Known as "Mr. Fix-It," he spent many years working as a jack-of-all-trades at the Fishers Island Hay Harbor Club, where his resourcefulness and dry humor became legendary.

Before his island days, Don served as a patrolman at the George Washington Bridge for the NY/NJ Port Authority, where he built friendships that lasted a lifetime. A man of few words but great presence, Don expressed himself through quiet gestures—a nod, a shake of the head, a wry half-smile that said everything. With his easy charm and movie-star good looks—of which he seemed entirely unaware—Don carried himself with quiet confidence.

He was sharp until the end, able to recall Yankee rosters and stats from nearly a century of baseball, delighting anyone lucky enough to get caught in conversation.

Don is survived by his daughter Elizabeth Jankowski (and her husband Robert) and his son Kenneth Meyer (and his wife Lisa); grandsons Christopher Jankowski (and his wife Melissa), Michael Jankowski, and Eric Meyer; and great-granddaughters Taylor and Morgan.

Those who knew Don and Vi remember them as a pair whose love was quiet but unwavering—the kind built on trust, shared jokes, and decades of small kindnesses. Together, they left behind a family grounded by their example.

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