Viola E. Meyer

Viola Adelaide Meyer (nee Edwards), aged 97, passed away in Toms River, NJ, on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, with Donald Meyer, her beloved husband of 75 years, by her side. She was born April 5, 1926, in the Bronx, NY, to Phillip and Lucille Edwards.

Vi and Don were high school sweethearts, first meeting at Fort Lee High School and marrying in 1948. They were long-time residents of Westwood, NJ, where they raised their family – daughter Elizabeth (Jankowski) and son Kenneth. They also had a summer home on Fishers Island, NY, and a Florida home in Lake Worth, which eventually became their primary residence.

They spent decades as snowbirds commuting between Florida and Vi’s beloved Fishers Island where her father Phillip was born and generations of Edwards made their home. For years, Vi volunteered at the Union Chapel rummage where she also attended as a parishioner. She worked alongside her good friend Mary Pankiewicz and together they sorted, organized, and sold Islanders’ donations. Never to pass up a good deal, she loved thifting and sought out second-hand treasures whenever and wherever she could.

With a remarkable family history, Vi’s heritage in New England dates back to the early 1600s with some relatives first arriving in America on the Mayflower. Her ancestors included those who fought in the Revolutionary and Civil wars, politicians, and those who became the first settlers of Rhode Island; Cape Cod, MA; and Connecticut.

Vi is survived by her children’s spouses Lisa and Robert Jankowski; three grandsons, Christopher Jankowski (and his wife Melissa), Michael Jankowski, and Eric Meyer; as well as two great-granddaughters, Morgan and Taylor, who she adored. She is predeceased by her sister Lois (Derderian) and brother Richard both of whom also lived on Fishers Island.

She will be remembered as a devoted and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, aunt and great-aunt, wife, and friend. In addition to all of the countless ways she made people’s lives better, those who knew her will remember her mischievous laugh, keen organizational skills, and her outstanding mac and cheese which was a favorite at every family gathering.