RICHARD "DICK" MEYER

Richard "Dick" Meyer died February 7, 2022, in Santa Fe, NM, at the age of 74, after a brief illness. Dick was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. His parents, Mary (nee Stone) and George Meyer had moved from Cincinnati to California following World War II. He graduated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, CA. He earned a degree in history from Saint Mary's College of California in 1969. He was a proud Gael, serving as a longtime member of the Board of Regents, tirelessly fundraising for scholarships and a new library, and cheering on his beloved basketball team. In 1977, he earned an MBA from Pepperdine University. He married Laurie (nee Lynch) Meyer in 1969, following their graduation from college. A blind date brought them together and they stayed together for 52 years. He was a devoted father to two sons, Jim and Michael. Dick joined Abbott Laboratories in 1969 as a hospital products sales rep and spent his entire career at Abbott. He had a knack for sales and he earned bigger jobs in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia. In 1981, he joined Abbott's corporate headquarters and settled in Libertyville, IL, where he and Laurie were parishioners at St. Joseph's parish and active in the community. In later years, they were members of the Merit Club. Dick tirelessly traveled the world as Director of International Marketing until he retired in 2002. He achieved all this success despite being diagnosed with severe bilateral hearing loss early in his career. His years at Abbott created deep friendships, a mountain of memories, and hilarious stories of life on the road. Dick and Laurie moved part-time to Santa Fe in 2005, and full-time in 2012. Many visits to Santa Fe over the decades had spurred a love for New Mexico's art, culture, and panoramas. In retirement, Dick's passion for travel led them to every corner of the world. He made friends along the way due to his insatiable curiosity for their cultures, politics, and daily lives. Hong Kong, Maine, London, Istanbul, and Sydney held special places in his heart and he took every chance he had to return. In Santa Fe, Dick was a docent at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and an avid collector of Indian pottery. He taught himself to play golf in a scrappy, unconventional way and he loved to play with friends. He served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Hearing Loss Association of America in Bethesda, MD, where he was awarded the Rocky Stone Humanitarian Award. He was appointed to the New Mexico Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The one hobby that was a constant throughout his life was his love of baseball and the Cincinnati Reds. In the last season he got to enjoy, the Reds posted a winning record, which was assuredly not a coincidence. Dick is survived by his wife, Laurie; and sons, Jim and Michael. Jim lives in Jacksonville, OR, with his wife, Colette, and two daughters, Lauren and Emma. Michael lives in Hinsdale, IL, with his wife, Maria Clemencia, and son, Andrew. He is survived by his mother-in-law, Mary Lynch; his aunt, Alice Marie "Ahme" Stone; his cousins, Jolie Frank (John), Michael Stone, and Melanie Hogan (John). He was preceded in death by his father, George and his mother, Mary; his grandmother, Helen; his aunt, Helen "Teddie" Spies and his uncle, Jerry Spies; his uncle, Howard "Rocky" Stone; and his cousin, Ted Stone. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, February 18th at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. We will pray the rosary at 9:30AM, followed by Mass at 10:00AM. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Saint Mary's College of California (www.stmarys-ca.edu), Hearing Loss Association of America (www.hearingloss.org), or St. Mary's School of Medford, OR (www.smschool.us). Since pandemic restrictions severely limit close contact, masks will be required in the Cathedral. We invite you to share your memories of Dick in writing. There will be a basket at the Cathedral for your cards.