Randall Meyer

Randall Meyer, adored and cherished husband, father and grandfather, passed away on the morning of Friday, the 7th of December 2012, at his home in Houston.
Randall Meyer was born in Mt. Union, Iowa, on the 19th of January 1923. Randall graduated from the University of Iowa in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science with Highest Distinction in Mechanical Engineering. Randall married Barbara Don Swetman of Rayville, Louisiana on the 29th of November 1958, and raised a devoted family of three children, Warren, Gretchen and Kirsten.
Randall was a respected and revered businessman who began his almost forty year career with Exxon upon graduation from college, as a mechanical engineer in Exxon's Baton Rouge, Louisiana Refinery, where he served in a variety of technical and managerial positions prior to moving to Houston in 1961 in the company's Supply and Transportation Department. In July, 1966, Randall moved to New York City as Executive Assistant to the President of Exxon Corporation. He returned to Houston in 1967 as Senior Vice President of Exxon Company, U.S.A. and became President in 1972. In 1976, Randall became CEO and remained in that position until his retirement on February 1, 1988.
Randall was a dedicated community leader and was extensively involved in many areas, including the petroleum industry, general business, public service and community organizations. Among his many civic, state and national contributions, Randall served as Chairman and member of the board of directors of the Greater Houston Chamber of Commerce, board member and Director Emeritus of the Greater Houston Partnership, board member of HL& P and Houston Industries, Chairman and member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Founding Director of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Outreach Corporation, member of the board of directors of Methodist Hospital, Trustee of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, member and honorary member of the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute, member of the board of directors and Chairman of the National Resources Commission of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Founding Member and Chairman of the board of directors of the Forum Club of Houston, and Director of the Houston Symphony. He also served in various capacities in his many years working with the United Way, including Southwest Regional Chairman of the National Corporate Leadership Program of the United Way of America and member of the Advisory Board and Division Chairman of the National Opportunity Campaign for the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast. Randall was a proud member of several professional societies, including Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Omicron Delta Kappa and Pi Tau Sigma.
Randall was an impassioned proponent of higher education and the importance of combining a liberal arts education with professional preparation. He worked very closely with the University of Iowa and its College of Engineering throughout his career and post retirement in both advisory and fundraising capacities. In appreciation for his tireless dedication to his alma mater, the University bestowed many honors upon Randall, including Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement in 1979, Distinguished
Visiting Executive, College of Business Administration, in 1987, 1992 and 1993, and Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy Member in 1996. After retirement, Randall continued his work for the University of Iowa and the College of Engineering as a member of the Campaign Steering Committee and the Development Council. He also served the University as member and Vice President of the board of directors of the University of Iowa Foundation. Locally, Randall served as Chairman of the Campaign for TSU and as a member of the board of directors of Texas Southern University. Of course, as a father, he was particularly dedicated to the education of his three children and devoted countless hours, as such, to the Kinkaid School in many capacities, including Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and member of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Kinkaid Capital Campaign, Chairman of the Evaluation Committee, member of the Executive Committee and Life Trustee. As his children moved on so did his devotion. Randall enthusiastically dedicated himself to Princeton University as Chairman of the Princeton Parents Committee and Founding Chairman of the Princeton Parents Association, as well as member of the Annual Giving Committee, the Corporate Campaign Committee and the Parents Association Executive Committee.
In his free time, Randall loved to escape to the outdoors and was blessed to be able to divide his time, post retirement, between his home in Houston and his "heaven on earth" - his ranch in Wyoming. He loved fly fishing, dove hunting and simply being in the natural majestic surroundings of the mountains.
Randall Meyer was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Henry and Edythe Stuck Meyer; his three sisters, Virginia Harrington, Miriam Pike and Barbara Barnes; and his brother, Warren Henry Meyer.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 54 years, Barbara Swetman Meyer; their children, Warren Meyer and his wife, Kate, of Phoenix, Arizona, Gretchen Meyer Manias and her husband, Bill, of Houston, and Kirsten Meyer Wrinkle and her husband, Geoff, of Charlotte, North Carolina; and grandchildren Nicholas and Amelia Meyer of Phoenix, Arizona, Andrew and Hayden Manias of Houston, and Alex Wrinkle of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Randall's family wishes to acknowledge and express their unbounded appreciation for the care extended to Randall by his tireless and loving caretakers, Janith Moses, Erika Chatman, Janet Bourne and Kenya Hamilton.
A memorial service is to be conducted at four o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday, the 19th of January, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. Immediately following the service, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer. Honoring Randall as his honorary pallbearers are his five grandchildren: Nicholas Meyer, Amelia Meyer, Andrew Manias, Hayden Manias and Alex Wrinkle.
In lieu of customary remembrances, and for those desiring, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Mr. Meyer's name be directed to the The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX, 77210-4486.
"Our father was the embodiment of the American success story - he rose from humble beginnings, was first educated in a one-room school house in a small farm town in Iowa, survived polio as a young child and worked tirelessly to put himself and his siblings through college. He was continually guided by and practiced his strong Midwestern values of honesty, loyalty, respect, faith in God, dedication to hard work and the duty to give back to the community. Greater than all of the successes of his career, are these values, as well as the love and unfailing support that he and our mother have passed on to their children and grandchildren."