Robert Gordon Meredith

3/10/1924 –3/3/2011

Our father has finished his mission on this earth and now resides in the arms of his savior. Dad was born March 10, 1924, in Eau Claire, WI, to Guy and Edna Meredith. The family moved to Spokane when he was 10 years old where he graduated from North Central High School. He was a navigator in the Army Air Corps in World War II and after the war he married the girl across the street, the love of his life, Esther Buchanan. They spent 53 wonderful years together and produced three children, Michael, Steven and Suzanne. He graduated from the University of Washington in Chemical Engineering in 1950 and he lived in the Seattle area the rest of his life except for a seven year period when he worked in New York and London. Other than those seven years he worked for the entire time for the Washington Natural Gas Company, retiring in 1986.

Dad had many interests and loved to get out and do things, a couch potato he was not. He liked to travel, take photographs, rockhound, hike, camp and fish. He was into computers and even in his 80’s was still the source for technical advice for many of us. He loved his Washington Huskies, the Seattle Mariners and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

After having a heart attack at the age of 47, he entered into a cardio-rehab program at Evergreen hospital in Kirkland. He continued in that program for 39 years and especially loved the camaraderie of his friends there, affectionately known as the Geezers. He was very active for 60+ years in his church, Phinney Ridge Lutheran, where he had many good friends and led a good Christian life. He had a way of relating to people of all ages. But above all he loved his family, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews and was generous with his gifts, his time and his love.

Dad was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife Esther and his brother Jim. He is survived by his children, Michael (Kate) Meredith of Portland, OR, Steven (Patty) Meredith of Kennewick, WA, and Suzanne (Jim Brain) Meredith of Walla Walla, WA, his sister Doris (Elwood) Sims of Spokane and brother Jack (Dollee) Meredith of Post Falls, ID. Also sisters-in-law Betty Meredith and Mary (Rolland) Farnsworth and brother in law Wes (Elgene) Kienholz. He loved to be with his grandchildren Emily Meredith, David (Lana) Meredith, Amanda (Rob) Fickeisen, Callie (Nuri Mathieu) Meredith, and Robert (Candice) Meredith and his step grandchildren Greg Brain, Matt Brain, Amanda Ruddell, Richie Rockefeller, Peter Rockefeller, Andrew Rockefeller, David Rockefeller and Stacy Sandberg; great grandchildren Noelle, Atticus, Eliana, Henry and Odin and step-great grandchildren, A.J., Jeremey, Hunter, Raelynn, Eli, Maya and Henry James all of whom he considered his own. He was an honorary father and grandfather to many more.

Our dad has gone on to bigger and better things so we in this world are left with a huge hole to fill. He truly led a wonderful life. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on April 2, 2011, at 1:00 pm at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, 7500 N. Greenwood Ave. in Seattle. Private interment will be at Acacia Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, the American Cancer Society or the Evergreen Healthcare Foundation, Hospice Services