John Meath

J. Allan Meath 1928-2012 John Allan Meath, 83, a retired newspaper executive of Alloway Township, N.J., passed away Sunday, March 11, at Elmer Hospital. Allan, born July 15, 1928, in Newark, N.J., was the son of John Meath and Helen (Baldwin) Meath. A Navy veteran and a graduate of the State University of New York at Cobleskill, he began his newspaper career at the Schenectady New York Union Star. He was employed at newspapers in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Miami, Fla.; Augusta, Ga.; Trenton, N.J. and Danbury, Conn. Allan was Vice-President of Operations for Ottaway Newspapers of Campbell Hall, N.Y., andPresident of Park Newspaper Group of Ithaca, N.Y. While in New York he was President of the New York Publishers Association. The publisher of eight daily and Sunday newspapers in the San Francisco Bay area owned by MediaNews Group Corp., Allan retired as Vice-President of that Corporation in 1994 and continued as a consultant through 2005. Allan was an airplane and glider pilot, a high school & college football referee and a member of Rotary International for over forty years. Allan is survived by his daughters Cynthia Maroney and her husband David of Bennington, Vt.; Carol McClain and her husband William of Wake Forest, N.C., and his son David Meath and his wife Suzanne of Pine Bush, N.Y. Allan is also survived by six grandchildren, Matthew Maroney and his wife Amy, Kathleen Walters and her husband Christopher, Abigail McClain, Lucas McClain, Collin Meath and Jesse Meath and three great grand children Alexander Walters, Abigail Walters and Ryan Maroney. In addition to his parents, Allan was pre-deceased by his wife Virginia Bull Meath and a sister Phyllis Meath Renshaw FUNERAL NOTICE: A memorial service will be held in his honor Saturday, March 31st at 11 a.m. at the Woodstown Presbyterian Church, 46 Auburn Rd., Woodstown, N.J. Friends of the family are cordially invited to share their thoughts, condolences and fond memories with the Meath family for a visitation to celebrate Allan's life from 10 a.m. until the time of service. For those wishing to remember Allan in a special way, the family suggests donations be made to the Woodstown Presbyterian Deacons Fund, 46 Auburn Rd., Woodstown, NJ 08098, or ARC of Salem County, PO Box 5, Salem, NJ 08079. Please visit www.htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to the family. Arrangements are under the direction of the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown, NJ, 856.769.1515.