JOHN MEEK

JOHN MEEK

John Martin Meek, who wrote speeches for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, helped pass Medicare and the 1965 Voting Rights Act and was the coordinator of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, died March 11, 2016, at Tucson's VA hospital at age 86 of a long illness originating from his combat service with the Marines in the Korean War.

Meek taught journalism at Pima Community College, penned columns for the Arizona Daily Star and authored three books while a 17-year Green Valley resident.

In 2003 Meek published his novel, "The Christmas Hour," followed by the book "I Might Just Be Right." Former Daily Star editorial page editor Jim Kiser compared Meek's writings to war correspondent Ernie Pyle: "Meek shares one trait with Pyle. He tells good stories."

His 2011 book "The Other Pearl Harbor: The Army Air Corps And Its Heroes on Dec. 7, 1941," focused on his Tucson friend, hero fighter pilot Kenneth M. Taylor.

Meek was born in 1929 in Rocky, Oklahoma. He was a U.S. Navy Corpsman in Korea, saving the lives of combat-wounded Marines. He appeared in the 2008 KUAT documentary, "Tucson Remembers: The Korean War."

A graduate of Oklahoma University, he obtained his master's degree at Syracuse University and was a reporter.

Meek served as a U.S. Senate press secretary, wrote speeches for President Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and President Johnson. In 1968, he oversaw the Democrats' convention in Chicago.

Meek then became a p.r. operative and lobbyist, winning U.S. landing rights for the Concorde SST, mandatory seat belts in U.S. automobiles and also was involved with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

He climbed in the Teton mountain range and throughout the Southwest. Meek was a board member of the Green Valley Performing Arts Center and the Friends of the Library, and was active in Esperanza Estates.

Meek is survived by his children, Camilla, David and Jamie; five grandchildren; and a brother. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.