Col. Richard Walter Meyers (Ret.)

Rich Meyers felt his obituary should only be a few sentences—all it needed were the basic details of his life along with the date and time of his me¬morial service. He felt there was no need to list out his many successes and achievements. He would tell you that his service as a chaplain in the Ore¬gon National Guard and his time as a professor at Corban University was never about him. Rich was a low-key man and never enjoyed being the center of attention.

Rich probably would have asked for an even shorter obituary had he known newspapers charge by the column inch.

Out of respect to Rich, here is the short and suc¬cinct obituary he would have wanted, including the date and time of his memorial service:

Richard Walter Meyers was born to John and Helen Meyers on November 5, 1942, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He passed away at home in Salem, Oregon, on February 17, 2019. He taught at Corban University, had a private counseling practice for many years, and served more than 30 years in the Oregon National Guard. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dianne, his sons Jonathan and Daniel, his sister Margaret and brother David, and his two dogs—Poochie and Reggie.

His memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 9, at First Baptist Church of Salem. This service is open to the public and you are welcome to attend. There will be a private military burial on Friday, March 8, at Willamette National Cemetery. Please contact the family if you wish to attend his military service.

Instead of flowers, the family asks you make a donation to the Simonka Place for Women and Children, which is operated by Union Gospel Mission (ugmsalem.org/donate). Please make sure you identify Simonka Place as the recipient in the “special note” section of the online form.

Blessings on your fine heads.

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Because of Rich’s kindness and compassion, and the tremendous impact he had on the lives of his family, friends, the Oregon National Guard, Corban University, and many others he encountered during his 76 years, below is the much longer obituary he truly deserves.

Much like his prayers before Thanksgiving and Easter dinners, it’s probably way too long:

Rich was born November 5, 1942, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and was the oldest son of John and Helen Meyers. His father, like many of the men in his family, worked on the railroads. Whatever life had in store for Rich, he knew he wouldn’t find it on the trains rolling in and out of the Rust Belt. Much to the dismay of his family, he decided he’d have better odds on a Greyhound Bus.

Rich bought a one-way ticket out of Pittsburg and with little more than the proverbial dollar in his pocket, headed west.

He arrived in San Francisco in the early 1960s. Many people found many different things while walking the streets of San Francisco during those years. This scrawny young man from Pittsburg didn’t stand out in the crowd, but he didn’t follow it either. In the City by the Bay, Rich discovered his life’s two great passions: His Christian faith and a young blonde nurse named Dianne.

Not long after arriving, Rich enrolled at Western Baptist Bible College and would become the first person in his family to earn a college degree. In addition to pursuing an education, Rich also started pursuing Dianne.

At first, Dianne’s family wasn’t sure what to make of him, but he seemed sincere and had a good head on his shoulders. He won over her parents and her younger siblings, Greg and Laurie. Rich would have a positive influence on Greg and Laurie’s lives and proudly become a friend and brother to both. With her family’s blessing, Rich proposed to Dianne in his car at a park in the Bay Area. To be clear, the blessing was for the privilege of marrying Dianne and not for the style (or lack thereof) by which he proposed.

Dianne said, “Yes,” and they were married in 1965.

After continuing their educations for several years in Chicago, Illinois, Rich and Dianne returned to the West Coast. Rich started teaching at his alma mater, Western Baptist Bible College (now Corban University), which had recently moved from sunny California to a damp and soggy campus on a forested hillside in Salem, Oregon. Dianne also found work as a teacher, beginning her 30-plus-year career as a nursing instructor at Chemeketa Community College. Rich continued his education and in 1996, earned his doctorate in psychology from George Fox University.

With roots planted in Salem, Rich and Dianne welcomed their first child into the family in 1978. They named him Jonathan after Rich’s father. In 1984, Dianne gave birth to their second son. They let Jon pick the name and he named his baby brother Daniel, after his personal hero—Daniel Tiger from Mr. Rogers.

Although he was often busy, Rich always made time for his family. He was a constant source of encouragement for his sons and always nurtured their creativity and independence. During 53 years of marriage, Rich and Dianne never stopped loving or supporting each other.

Rich and Dianne attended First Baptist Church of Salem and were actively involved in Bible Study Fellowship. They enjoyed their quiet retirement together, taking the occasional vacation or going on walks with their dogs, Poochie and Reggie. Of the many people Rich Meyers knew, his dogs Poochie and Reggie were among his favorite.

He enjoyed a long career as a professor at Corban University and was instrumental in the creation of its psychology major, eventually chairing the department. In 2013, he retired from Corban after nearly 40 years. At the graduation ceremony in 2018, Rich was honored as Professor Emeritus.

Alongside his career as a college professor, Rich had a long and success¬ful career in the Oregon National Guard. He signed up as a cadet with the Reserve Officer Training Corps and was commissioned in 1971 as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve. In 1977, he was assigned as the chaplain for the Oregon National Guard’s 1249th Engineer Battalion. Rich would excel in his role as chaplain and eventually would reach the rank of colonel. From September 1996 through his retirement in May 2004, Colonel Meyers served as State Chaplain in the Oregon National Guard.

To Rich, the highlight of his careers at Corban and in the Oregon Na¬tional Guard were the people he met. He was loved by his students for his abstract sense of humor and kindness—even on the days when his socks didn’t match. As a chaplain, Rich was a counselor and friend to many of his fellow soldiers, respected for his wisdom and insights. One of his fellow soldiers recently said it best: “He was one hell of a chaplain. The best I ever served with.”

Rich’s friends and family would be unable to give you the name of a sin¬gle person he hated. Without hesitation, they could give you the names of a hundred people he loved. Many of those people returned that love when they came to visit him during his final weeks. Ever the chaplain, Rich would often take the hands of his visitors—even when he was too weak to sit up on his own—and say a prayer for them before he’d let them leave.

Many stories about Rich were shared during this time and most included these three words: “Rich helped me.”

The visit that meant the most during this time was from his younger brother Dave, who flew in from Pennsylvania to see him. That was the last good day of Richard Meyers’ life. It was the last day he could talk, smile, and laugh. He spent that day with his brother, his two sons, his wife, and many more of his dearest friends. When it was time for his brother to leave, Rich took his brother’s hand and said a prayer for him. It was the last prayer the chaplain would ever give.

That night, his son Daniel stayed up with him as Rich started losing his ability to speak. Before he went home for the night, Rich managed one last sentence for his youngest son—“Goodnight my son—you are a blessing.” He will always cherish those words.

When he could no longer make words, his sister Marge continued to call him from her home in Pennsylvania, and talked to her baby brother, bringing him comfort. He was unable to speak but with a twitch of his eyebrows, we knew he heard her.

The typical line for obituaries is to say he “lost his battle with cancer.” Even on his death bed, Rich was armed with his faith in Christ and shielded by the love of his family and many friends. On February 17, 2019, Richard Walter Meyers passed away peacefully in his home, but this old soldier didn’t lose the battle. Cancer claimed his life, but it never defeated him.