John "Jack" R Meyer's Obituary
John “Jack” R. Meyer, 84, of Decatur passed away on Sunday, January 25, 2015 at his home with his family by his side.
Jack was born on January 4, 1931 in Pekin, IL the son of John E. and Helen (Rust) Meyer. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Decatur. He graduated from Pekin Community High School in 1949 and began working at Caterpillar in Peoria. He completed a four year machinist apprenticeship in 1954 and then transferred to the engineering department at the Caterpillar Decatur plant. He retired in 1986 with 37 years of service as a senior design engineer. He sold and serviced Electrolux for 40 years. He served seven years with the Illinois Air National Guard in Peoria. He married Carolyn Stivers on October 9, 1960 in Decatur. He enjoyed crossword puzzles, was an avid Chicago Cubs fan, and loved to watch his grandchildren play sports.
Surviving are his wife, Carolyn; sons, John D. Meyer (Mailanie) of Urbana; Ron K. Meyer (Ruth) of Savoy; Debra M. Koopman (Randy) of Hopkinton, MA; grandsons, John A. Meyer, Jeremy D. Meyer, Zachary D. Meyer, Luke C. Meyer, Jacob P. Meyer; great-granddaughter, Lily Renae; and his beloved pet dog, Ellie Mae.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral service to celebrate Jack’s life will be at 11 AM Thursday, January 29, 2015 in First Presbyterian Church of Decatur. Visitation will be from 9-11 AM Thursday in the church. Burial will be in Mt. Gilead Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to First Presbyterian Church of Decatur.
The family would like to thank Dr. Ben Esparaz, DMH Hospice, Comfort Keepers, and Wanda and Rita for the wonderful care given to Jack.
The family of John “Jack” R. Meyer is being served by Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home, 2091 N. Oakland Avenue, Decatur, IL. View the on line obituary and send condolences to the family at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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