Howard Samuel Meeks Jr.

Howard Samuel Meeks died on May 13, 2016, in Winter Garden, Florida. He was born on November 29, 1932, in Upland, Pennsylvania, to Howard Samuel Meeks and Edith May Flounders Meeks. He graduated from Chester High School in 1951. After earning an Associate’s Degree in Accounting and Business Administration at Goldey-Beacom Business College in Wilmington, Delaware, he worked for General Chemical in Claymont, Delaware. Howard joined the Naval Reserve before graduating from high school and was engaged in active duty from 1954 until 1956, serving on the USS Daly. Howard then worked for Sun Oil in Marcus Hook, PA, and continued his studies and earned his Bachelor’s degree at Pennsylvania Military College (Widener University) in Chester. He subsequently answered the call to ministry and was awarded the Master of Divinity from the Philadelphia Episcopal Divinity School in 1962. Howard served the Episcopal Church as assistant rector at St. Paul’s in Chester, Pennsylvania; Church of the Holy Trinity in West Chester, Pennsylvania; St. Thomas in Terrace Park, Ohio; and as rector at Church of the Nativity, New Castle, Delaware; and St. Andrew’s in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was consecrated the Bishop of Western Michigan on October 6, 1984.

Howard met the love of his life, Anne Sanderson Vail, at Chester High School, and they were married on October 10, 1953, until Anne’s death on October 11, 2005. Howard is survived by three children: Howard Samuel Meeks III (Kathleen Brenna) of Lompoc, California; John Robert Meeks (Christina Osburn) of Williamsburg, Virginia; and Sarah Elizabeth Meeks of Cocoa Beach, Florida. He is also survived by grandchildren, Alexander and Katherine Meeks. Howard was a spiritual advisor, a scholar, a charismatic preacher, a gifted vocalist, a loving husband, and a devoted father, father-in-law, and grandfather. He will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery with Anne.

A memorial service for family and friends will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at Living Bread Christian Fellowship Church, 1801 S. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL. Condolences to the family may be sent in care of H. Samuel Meeks III at P.O. Box 600, Lompoc, CA 93438. Those wishing to make a contribution in Howard’s memory are asked to consider Vitas Hospice or another hospice provider of your choice.