Sydelle Meyer

Sydelle Meyer and her husband, Arthur I. Meyer, were honored as “Philanthropists of the Year” by the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce in 1998 and Sydelle was named “Woman of Distinction” by Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2003. Mrs. Meyer was awarded the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Distinguished Citizen Award in March 2009. She received the 2011 Humanitarian Award at the annual Palm Beach Gala of the American Friends of Magen David Adom and was honored as the Quantum House Portrait of a Woman 2013 Grand Matriarch.

Sydelle Meyer (nee Fisher) was born on October 7, 1925, daughter to late Diana and Philip Fisher and sister to Marjorie Alfus (1927 - 2022).

Sydelle was raised in Manhattan and graduated from the Dalton School. She graduated college from Ohio State University in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Many years later, she received a Master of Arts degree in Teaching from Sarah Lawrence University in New York.

In 1945, when she was 20 years old, Sydelle (Syd) met Arthur Meyer and they married in 1947. When they met, there was instant chemistry that lasted until Arthur Meyer’s death in 2008. Their marriage and life together was the true meaning of partnership. They traveled the world together, began their philanthropy together and became major collectors of art together.

Syd and Arthur had 2 children, William (Bill) and Gail. In 1952, the family moved from Manhattan to Harrison, New York in Westchester County. Early on they became members of Fenway Country Club where her parents were already members.

During the years in Harrison, she became an activist for many causes but especially Jewish causes and civil rights. She was National Senior Vice President of the American Jewish Congress. During the 1960s, as part of Congress, Syd found her voice. She was outspoken about civil rights, segregation and all abuses of civil liberties and rights of Jews around the world.

The Meyers’ Palm Beach Life began when they bought a vacation home in 1972 and in 1978 initially began spending 7 months a year in Palm Beach. Upon joining the Palm Beach Country Club, they became an influential part of the community deeply involved in the areas of education, the arts and philanthropy. The Meyers were the lead funder of the Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Preparatory School and of the religious school of Temple Judea, both located in Palm Beach County.

Sydelle, with her late husband, Arthur I. Meyer, were founders and benefactors of Albert Einstein Medical School in New York, the Interfaith Pavilion of St. Mary’s Hospital in West Palm Beach and Drama Works in West Palm Beach. They provided significant support to Yale and New York Universities, the Jewish Theological Seminary and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Sydelle Meyer was known for her fashion sense and amazing accessories. Most of all she was known for her colorful outrageous eyeglasses. Her glasses could not be bright enough or big enough. Each pair of glasses perfectly matched her beautiful colorful clothes. She lit up a room and her personality commanded everyone’s attention. People loved her and respected her and in turn she treated everyone with respect no matter who they were. When people would see her they made it a point to come over to say hello, even those she actually did not know.

Sydelle’s love of color and fashion naturally propelled her into the world of art. She began to study and acquire abstract expressionists, like Jackson Pollack, Larry Rivers, and William de Kooning. Over the years, the collection grew and she welcomed many museums and guests to view the Meyers’ collection of modern artists. In addition, they donated numerous pieces to the Norton Museum such as sculptures by Fernand Léger and Louise Nevelson. Due to their generosity and commitment to the arts, there are two galleries in the Norton that bear their name.

Syd served on the boards of many diverse organizations in Palm Beach County including the Norton Museum, the Jewish Federation, United Way, the Science Museum, the School of the Arts Foundation and Ballet Florida. Their local commitment to the community further included a family gift to West Palm Beach for the Meyer Amphitheatre and Meyer Hall at Dreyfoos School of the Arts.

Syd is survived by her children, William Meyer, Gail Meyer Asarch (James) Satovsky; grandchildren, Andrew (Jessica) Meyer, Candice Meyer, Allison Asarch, Melissa (Joe) Wittenberg, her great grandsons, Wolf and Wyatt.

Funeral services are at 2:30pm, Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at IJ Morris Star of David Cemetery, 9321 memorial Park Road, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33412. Shiva will be at Bill Meyer’s home on Tuesday after services and Wednesday, at Gail Meyer Asarch’s home in Boca Raton.

Contributions can be made to Meyer Jewish Preparatory School in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.