Kevin Patrick Meek

Eulogy for Kevin P. Meek

Dear Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my Friend, I have always turned to you for direction, help, comfort. "My heart is inditing a good matter." (Ps. 45:1) My heart is overflowing with mingled grief and gratitude for the earthly friend you gave me 53 years ago. You called home your servant, my beloved husband, Kevin Patrick Meek. Lord, you know how dear this man is to me, my one true friend through life. You brought him to me when I really needed a friend. My grief is for the huge hole in my heart in not having my husband, my friend to share life with. My gratitude is for all the roads of pain and pleasure we have travelled together and the gifts he brought to my life. Lord, in your providence, you put me and Kevin in an English class at Old Dominion University when I was 18 years old. I turned my head to see the young man who was a teacher's dream, always engaged in conversation. He had chestnut brown hair, twinkling blue eyes and a big smile. Who, but you, Lord, knew we would meet again at the same place of employment, become friends, then betrothed and walk together for 53 years. My one true friend was your answer to my fleeting prayer to meet a nice young man and have a friend after graduation. He was so much fun.

Kevin Patrick Meek was born May 23, 1949 in Chelsea Naval Hospital near Boston. He was born to an exuberantly Irish Catholic family. I loved his family. There was an old world quality about them. Kevin had that quality, too. His mother, father, brother, and sister all adored him. By turns, as each one faced serious health conditions, Kevin cared for them with greatest devotion. At the drop of a hat, he would run to help them, even though he worked long hours with little sleep.

There was so much I loved about Kevin. We had a lot in common. We were both eldest children, practicing Catholics and had a lot of responsibility early in life. His early training as an altar boy in Boston stayed with him his whole life. He often said, "Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa" which is "My fault, my fault, my most grievous fault". He would sing "In nomine Patris et filii Spiritus Sancti. Amen." This means "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Kevin looked forward to going to church on Sundays. He had great reverence for the holy sacraments. He had high regard for an aunt, "Auntie Sis", who was a nun with the order of St. Joseph for over 50 years.

He had a great sense of humor and the heartiest laugh when something tickled his funny bone. Kevin was humble, unassuming, unpretentious, gentle, kind, and honest as the day is long, the embodiment of Yankee thriftiness (his sister joked that he had the first dollar he ever earned), diligent and faithful in service to his employers. I never heard him utter a prejudicial word or berate anybody. He received plaudits from co-workers over the years that have really touched my heart. A co-worker once said everybody loved Kevin. Once, after he retired, he went to visit his co-workers and everyone in the showroom came to the center and clapped as he came in. Another co-worker said the heart was cut out of the company when he was laid off. He worked two jobs for almost twenty years and never complained.

Kevin was well-read, a great conversationalist. He loved history and would have been a great history teacher. He could talk about so many things. He loved trains and knew everything there is to know about trains and railroads. He loved the railroad excursions we took and steam engines. He loved maps, road trips, and getting "gloriously" lost and finding his way out of the woods. He was passionate about gardening. He loved his family home in Boston. He loved taking tours of the Freedom Trail, Haymarket, Faneuil Marketplace, Kenmore Square, Brighton, the subways, Boston Red Sox, and Boston College, where he worked as a youth. He knew Boston like the back of his hand and was a wonderful tour guide.

Kevin and I went through so many hard times together: the stress of work life, family health crises and impingements. He was my friend. We were married at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Norfolk, Virginia on August 28, 1976. Lord, you led me to another church and to the building of a church. The church began in our house. He didn't complain. He was my friend. He let me be who I am and he was a friend to my church. Lord, I will carry into eternity with gratitude all the experiences you gave us and the husband who was so forbearing and gracious.

He was patient and longsuffering with the illness that robbed him of so much mental and physical stamina over the last three years. Since his passing on October 8, there have been so many testimonies of his impact on people's lives. Everyone has said how gentle, kind, and uncritical he was. There is truth in the popular expression that people don't remember what you did as much as how you made them feel.

Kevin is predeceased by his mother, Winifred O'Connor Meek, his father, Warren Luther Meek, his sister, Catherine Maria Meek, and his brother, Condon Joseph Meek.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 50 years, Kris Beethoven Meek, to cherish his memory and celebrate his life. He leaves behind many sisters and brothers-in-law, Lori and Paul Six, Rev. Tina Ellis, Mark and Lynn Beethoven, Kevin and Donna Beethoven, Craig and Janet Beethoven and cousins, nieces, nephews, and a Cavapoo named Rhody who was crazy about him.

A Visitation will be held at Woodlawn Funeral home on Tuesday, October 20 from 5:30-7:00 pm.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church on Wednesday, October 21 at 10am.

Visitation at the church is at 9:30am.