David Anthony Meeker

David Anthony Meeker

David Anthony Meeker, 76, of Ohio died May 26, 2016 surrounded by his family, after suffering a heart attack on the golf course earlier in the week. He was born in Akron, the eldest son of the late Charles Anthony Meeker and Lucia Pauline (Schweikert).

David was a nationally regarded public relations executive who specialized in environmental public relations, community relations and public affairs for the past 40 years. Key clients included the Vinyl Institute, B.F. Goodrich, Kent State University, Mead Corp., Nokia and 3M.

After retiring as executive vice president of Edward Howard & Co (now a division of Falgrine Mortine), he became an adjunct professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kent State University, where he taught from 2001-2015. He co-founded Meeker-Young LLC in 2009, a communication training consultancy providing specialized instruction and counsel for business leaders, which he ran with his partner Davis Young.

Meeker was born June 1, 1939 in Akron, Ohio, attending St. Vincent Elementary school and St. Vincent High School, where he graduated in 1957. He received a Bachelors degree from Kent State University in 1961 and earned his Masters in Communications Management from the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University in 1998. He proudly served in the United States Army Reserve.

He began his career in journalism working at the Eastman Kodak Co., followed by stints as a journalist for the Akron Beacon Journal and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. As an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellow, he lived and worked in Europe for a year, studying and reporting on urban issues in Rome, Warsaw, Stockholm, Rotterdam and London.

Returning to the United States where he took a role as Executive Director to Mayor A.J. Cervantes in St. Louis, Missouri. He returned to Ohio in 1971, to serve as Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, then Executive Director of the Ohio Democratic Party.

He was partner at Meeker, Mayer, Poppenhouse and Weinberger, Meeker-Mayer Public Relations, and past CEO of David A. Meeker Associates, which later merged with Edward Howard Co. He is past chairman the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows and his work has been honored five times with the Silver Anvil, the highest award in public relations.

Aside from his PR consultancy work, Meeker dedicated much of his free time to civic and volunteer leadership roles in a pro-bono capactity. He served on the boards of the Village at St. Edward, and The University of Akron's Hower House, and was a member of the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) Professional Advisory Board. He was also active in Progress Through Preservation, Nazareth Housing Development Corporation, and Scenic Ohio, Greater Ohio. He also served as a Lector at St. Sebastian Catholic Church for the past 30+ years.

A passionate family man, he leaves behind his wife of nearly 56 years, Anita Marie (DeJacimo); daughters, Christine Marie Meeker Lange (Rick Lange) of Sarasota, Fla., Elizabeth Anne Meeker of Akron, Ohio, Eileen Louise Meeker (Christopher Houghton) of Brooklyn, N.Y., and son, David Edgerton Meeker (Heather Boehnen) of Chicago, Ill.; sister, Patricia Labbe; brother, Robert C. Meeker of Akron, Ohio; and grandchildren, Jaime, Jordan, Charlie, Josephine and Sarah, along with his much-loved in-laws, nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 30 at Ciriello & Carr Funeral Homes, 39 S. Miller Rd., Fairlawn, Ohio, 44333. Mass of Christian Burial will take place TUESDAY, May 31, at 11 a.m. at St. Vincent Catholic Church, 164 W Market St., Akron, OH 44303 with viewing hours at the church from 10 to 11 a.m. preceding the Mass.

Interment at Glendale Cemetery where Firestone VFW Post 3383 will conduct military services.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the David A. and Anita M. Meeker Endowed Scholarship Fund at Kent State University, Tuesday Musical Association or St. Sebastian Catholic Church.



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