Michael Lawrence Meyer

Michael Lawrence Meyer died peacefully in his sleep on Friday, September 27, 2024 at The University of Chicago Medical Center. Mike was born May 9, 1949 in Belleville, IL, the second of three children. As a child he enjoyed playing cowboys with his neighbors in the corn fields behind his home. Growing up his family had a beagle, Charlie, who Mike spoke of fondly, even in his later years.
Mike went to Althoff Catholic High School, then attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana where he studied Architecture in their 5-year program. In 1971 he spent a year of the program studying abroad in Versailles. He graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1972. After traveling in Europe with his friends, Mike moved to the Chicago suburbs and had a 49-year long career as an architect at several different firms.
Mike married Sally Meyer in 1983. They lived in Wilmette, IL where they raised two daughters, Amy and Katie. The family included several beloved cats. Mike was a devoted family man for over 40 years. He was happy to dress up in tutus and have dance parties to Paul Simon and Flashdance. While the girls were growing up, they all went on regular trips to visit Mike's family in Belleville, where they celebrated holidays together, and Mike and Sally played many games of Euchre with his brother and sister-in-law.
Mike loved to travel, and he and Sally took their girls on wonderful family vacations, among them trips to Sequoia National Park, Hawaii, and France. He was an excellent photographer and documented his family's life through candid photos as well as yearly Christmas card photoshoots. He used his ingenuity and artistic skill to design and build things for his family, from life-sized furniture models, to intricate pop-up cards, to incredible Halloween costumes, to a pulley system and a ramp for his granddaughter's toys.
Mike's granddaughter, Tessa, was born in 2020, and she became the light of his life in his last years. He retired to spend more time with her, and he and Sally cared for her several days a week from infancy to preschool. She loved playing with her "Papa and Nene," and they delighted in pulling out their girls' old toys to share with Tessa, devising games for her to play, and taking her to a multitude of neighborhood parks.
Mike was an avid nature lover. He took his daughters camping and hiking at Devil's Lake State Park many summers, and went on regular camping and fishing trips with his dear friends. He took long bike rides along the Lake Michigan shoreline (where he watched dogs play at the dog beach) and to the Chicago Botanic Gardens (where he admired the roses). He also took daily walks, up to several miles a day. Mike's other hobbies included listening to classical music, watching old movies, reading fiction, and doing New York Times games with his daughter, Amy. He was also a baseball lover and steadfast Cardinals fan.
Mike was kind and loving to all who got the chance to know him. He was a proud and devoted father and grandfather. He had many lifelong friends. And he enjoyed life most when he was surrounded by those he loved. He will be deeply missed.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Lawerence "Buddy" Meyer and June Meyer (nee Fleckenstein), his sister, June Ann Meyer, and his brother, David Meyer. He is survived by his wife, Sally Meyer (nee Milne), two daughters, Amy Meyer and Katie Zanzinger (nee Meyer), a son-in-law, Zack Zanzinger, and a granddaughter, Tessa Zanzinger.
A memorial will be held November 3, 2024 from 2-4pm at the Lakeview Center in Wilmette, IL (a building Mike designed, built in 1989).
Contributions may be made in Mike's name to:
The National Park Foundation https://www.nationalparks.org/
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals https://www.aspca.org/
or
MPN Research Foundation. https://mpnresearchfoundation.org/donate-to-mpn-research/