Mr. Ronald "Ron" Walter Meier

A celebration of life gathering for Ron will be held Saturday, September 17, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 2853 SUNSET POINT RD, CLEARWATER, FL 33759. (This is a come-and-go event, so stop by anytime between 11 and 2.)

Ron Meier was a loving husband, devoted father, and extremely proud “Opa” to his five grandsons. He departed this life on September 1, 2022, at home.

Left behind to tell his story: his wife of 58 years, Sue; his son Rob and daughter-in-law Shelle, their boys Griffin (20) and Bryce (15); daughter Jenny and son-in-law Blane, and their sons Jonah (19) Andrew (16) and James (13). He is also survived by a sister, Elsa Jerdeman (John), along with nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, Elsie and Ernie Meier; older brother, Bob Meier and his wife, Clara; and niece, Laura Jerdeman.

In addition to family, Ron had friends from every aspect of his life that will miss his stories, laughter, genuineness, and incredible personality. He was quick to make a stranger a friend and enjoyed spending time with those he held dear.

Ron was born in Yonkers, NY, on April 17, 1941. He grew up in the town of Port Chester, NY, until his family moved to Ft. Pierce, FL when he was in 6th grade. In Fort Pierce he worked at his father’s grocery store and helped his grandfather one summer in home construction. During his free-time he enjoyed plenty of antics with his close buddies, who called themselves “The Chartreuse Avengers.” Always a “motorhead,” his jobs allowed him to buy his first motorcycle and first car – a coral red, 1957, VW beetle. “His car and his heart shall never part” was his senior yearbook quote. He graduated from Dan McCarty High School and was a school photographer – a hobby he enjoyed throughout his life.

Following high school, Ron spent one year at FSU trying to follow his mother’s goal for him to be pre-med. He then transferred to Georgia Military College to improve his grades and study habits. That year at GMC proved successful, and he continued his education at the University of Florida, majoring in Engineering. A chance encounter on the UF campus, with a professor of analog systems, led Ron to focus on Industrial Engineering. He was fascinated by the computer equipment, thrived in the IE program, and chaired the IE Dept. exhibit for the annual Engineer’s Fair - which won first place. In August of 1964, Ron received his BSIE, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers and married Sue, in Ormond Beach, FL.

In 1965, he completed a Master’s of Science in Engineering at UF. He then began Doctoral studies, but left to fulfill his ROTC obligation in the summer of 1967. One of his ROTC instructors suggested he write to the Army’s Operations Research Dept., with Defense Secretary McNamara, and tell him about his computer training at UF. As a result, he was assigned to the Engineers Strategic Study Group in Glen Echo, MD and served his entire tour there, ending with the rank of Captain. His son Rob was born at Walter Reed Hospital in DC.

Ron joined Honeywell Information Systems as a Systems Analyst in August 1969, working in DC. By 1970, he was traveling to Clearwater Florida every week, working with an engineering group. In May of 1970, he officially transferred to that group (located at Honeywell Aerospace on US 19) with a slight delay, since daughter Jenny was born the same week in Silver Spring, Maryland. The family moved to the area in July. In early 1971, the group was transferred to Boston. Instead of relocating again (with 2 young children) Ron became a systems analyst with another Honeywell Information Systems Group, which had an office in Tampa. It wasn’t long before he realized he was a better salesman than the ones he was supporting. In his first year, he was Rookie of the Year and achieved the first of his five President’s Club Awards. He received top sales awards virtually every year of his thirty-year career.

The President’s Club was the highest sales award in the company, covering all divisions. He won that award five times, the only salesperson at the time to do so. The President’s Club award included an exclusive trip, hosted by the company president and top execs – memorable trips to: Jamaica, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Kenya. Business travel took Ron all over the U.S., with frequent trips to Phoenix and Boston. In 1977, an opportunity to consult with a group in the UK created a unique option for the family to spend a summer in Harpenden, about an hour north of London. It was a great time to be in the UK since it was also Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee. The ability to reconnect with an Irish friend, who guided them around the UK and his native Ireland, was an added bonus.

The summer in Europe also created a chance to fulfill a dream - acquiring a Mercedes directly from the factory in Stuttgart, Germany. After a tour of the facility, the family hit the road in their new 1977, 300D, aka the “yellow fellow” and spent two weeks visiting six more countries, and cities, including Munich (his grandmother’s birthplace). The family returned with a summer’s worth of stories and memories, and lots of photos!

A major sale, to GTE Data Services in Tampa, inspired a trip to Japan in the early 1990’s (again with the whole family) to visit the NEC factory, where the computer was being built. No cars were purchased during this adventure, but the legion of stories grew, and this time there was also a video camera to record some of the exceptional moments!

When the computer division was taken over by the French Company, Bull, sales meetings moved to Paris and Nice. Sue tagged along and planned “post business” trips using Eurailpasses to travel to Greece, Italy, Austria, Spain, and the Czech Republic. A great night train from Paris let them have dinner in Paris, and breakfast in Florence, Italy. Prior to retirement, Ron arranged for his mother and Sue to meet him in Hamburg Germany. This was a special trip for the three Meiers, visiting family friends, his dad’s birthplace in Hamburg, and his mother’s favorite cities in Germany.

In addition to work trips, he enjoyed traveling as a family of four to many destinations. The annual lobster/scuba diving trips to the Florida Keys, with another family, provided years of stories and great memories. There was also a sailboat vacation in the Virgin Islands in 1980, a fantastic trip to Australia in 1992 (with his brother and family) and a family cruise, including his mother and mother-in-law, in 2000. He and Sue also enjoyed cruises with a group of friends, and road trips in the U.S.

Ron retired from Bull in 2001. After logging millions of air miles through work, he only traveled by plane once after he ended his career!

Post-retirement, he was able to devote more time to his love of woodworking. While staying at Sue’s parents’ house in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, he took woodworking classes at Penland School of Arts and Crafts. He and Sue, along with other friends, volunteered every year at the school’s annual auction, for almost 20 years. Ron also created a piece for the Wood Studio Auction in 2005, which sold at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville.

In June of 2002, Ron began the greatest job of his life - that of “Opa”- to his first grandson. Another grandson arrived in December of that year, followed by 3 more. These boys were the light of his life, and he enjoyed watching them grow up and develop into the young men that they are today. He had great times helping to care for Griffin and Bryce when they were babies. He didn’t even mind changing diapers and he had a great lap for storytelling, rocking, and napping! He also built glider rockers for the grandsons, and “made to order” furniture for Jenny’s first two boys.

Of course, there are no grandchildren without first having children, and he was the ultimate dad. The biggest cheerleader for both Rob and Jenny, he played a very active role in their lives. With Rob, he enjoyed many years of Boy Scouts, and all the adventures that go along with Scouting. He also passed along the same love of cars, machinery, and handyman skills. Boating was also a shared hobby, as well as the love of football, especially the Gators and Buccaneers. They built a kit car together – a Porsche Speedster – which was Ron’s dream car.

Jenny’s activities allowed her dad to continue using his photography skills - at her dance recitals, theater productions, and high school dance team performances. He was also there to “fix anything” and help guide her in auto care, and basic home repair must-knows. She especially appreciated his assistance with her science homework! He continued his home repair advice with Jenny’s husband, Blane, who was a very appreciative recipient of Ron’s knowledge.

This well-traveled life would not have been possible without the love and support of the smart girl that he met, in an early morning physics lecture, at the University of Florida. Together, he and Sue built a life together, and a legacy of love and friendship. As a couple, they were active in the community: he was a fifty-year member of the Clearwater Civitan Club, which supported Scouts, Special Needs Schools, Challenger Baseball, HEP and more. He also helped Sue with activities such as Meals on Wheels. He was proud to be inducted into Florida’s Grand Guard at the 50th reunion and kept up with his IE Department and the Engineers’ Excellence Fund.

Above all, Ron and Sue created a loving family, demonstrating the value of a strong marriage. They encouraged Rob and Jenny in their respective pursuits, and paved the way for them to pursue their goals. The grandsons experienced the same love and support, and were always entertained by their Opa, especially during games of CatchPhrase whenever the family got together.

Dearly beloved and incredibly missed - husband, dad, Opa - there was no one else quite like him, and his life deserves to be celebrated.

In lieu of flowers - the family would love if you would take a few moments and share your favorite memories, photos, and "Ron stories" at: www.sylvanabbey.com

Thank you!