Lyle Cheves Meeks, age 2, passed from this life to life eternal on Wednesday afternoon, August 5, 2020. Lyle was born to loving parents, Ryan and Isa Meeks, of Columbus on January 30, 2018. Active, full of energy, and constantly on the move, he was our little firecracker. He was the light of our lives, the joy of our hearts, a maker of grand messes, and a giver of even grander love. Lyle was always on the search for his next adventure. We frequently found him hiding under furniture with a donut, or in the pantry with the door closed, sitting inside a drawer with a mouth full of M&Ms. He was an expert at messing up his brother Rand’s lego creations, his sister Josephine’s art projects, and all family board games. He also excelled at catching frogs, late night snuggles when he should’ve been in bed, working his way into the depths of every heart that knew him, and giving his mommy hugs all day long, except for when he was running away to avoid a nap. He did everything with a passion and intensity that either made things a lot more fun, or a lot more interesting. His laughter and constant escapades were a source of great joy for our family and all who loved him. He was a shining light and his beautiful blonde curls and big brown eyes would melt a thousand hearts.
In addition to his parents, Lyle is survived by his precious siblings, big sister, Josephine, age 10, and big brother, Rand, age 7. He is also survived by an enormous family who loved him so dearly. Grandparents Cecil and Bettye Cheves of Columbus and Randy and Wanda Meeks of LaGrange, Aunts and Uncles, Luke and Avery Wolff, Billy and Olivia Blanchard, all of Columbus, and Gregg Meeks and Camille Carper, and Blake and Erin Meeks, all of LaGrange. Lyle was also loved and adored by his many cousins. The Wolff Cousins - Lucas and his wife Mary, Levi, Graham, Stewart, and Esther. The Blanchard Cousins - Russell, Betsy, and Walter. The Meeks Cousins - Madison, Mary Blake, and Edythe.
There are no words to describe the depth of grief over the loss of a child. But we do know that we will see Lyle again. We are holding fast to our faith that God is still good and He loves us. As John Eldredge wrote in All Things New, “When the Kingdom comes, my dear heartbroken friend, nothing that was precious to you in this life will be lost. No memory, no event, none of your story or theirs, nothing is lost. How can it be lost? It is all held safe in the heart of the infinite God, who encompasses all things. Held safe outside of time in the treasuries of the kingdom which transcends yet honors all time. This will be given back to you at the Restoration, just as surely as your sons will come back to you. Nothing is lost.”
In keeping with the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, the family will hold a private service. The service will be livestreamed at 11:00AM Monday, August 10, 2020, on the Striffler-Hamby Mortuary website, www.shcolumbus.com.
In lieu of flowers, Isa and Ryan would be grateful for any donations made to Young Life Columbus, Young Life LaGrange, or Young Life Auburn.
