John Louis Meyer

Chipper was born on November 7th, 1951, in Pensacola Florida and died August 19th, 2022, surrounded by his family, after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Chipper was the man who wanted to stay. He had things to do and people to meet. He did not want to leave his family, they were his whole life.

Chipper is survived by his wife Sally. Children, Jen, (Devin) D.J. (Melanie), Sarrah (Thomas), Jake (Lindsay), Josh (Jennyrose), Alex (Erika), Caitlin (Daniel) and Dhylan (Jayden)

Chipper loved his 24 grandchildren with all his heart. Lindsay Rae, (Kawan) Grace, Emily, Porter, Caleb, Abby, Addie, Gabe, Mckay, Izzy, Jazzy, Lizzy, Griff, Ellie, Emersyn, Lucy, Scarlett, Gage, Jane, Elliotte, Ava, Arthur, Tristan and Kaiden, and 1 great-granddaughter, Emilyn . Chipper was looking forward to meeting his 25th grandchild, Logan, in September.

I’m sure he’s pleased that he got to meet Logan first.

Chipper is survived by his siblings, Candy (Tom), Hank (Lorraine) and Bobby, and many nieces and nephews. Denise (Bill), Dianna (Matt), Tommy Jr. (Teresa), Arianna (Anne) and great nieces and nephews, Eleanor, Darcy, Jameson, McKenna, Abby, Tommy III, Max, Hannah, Ben, Henry, Nicholas, Brian, Matt and Abby.

Chipper was preceded in death by his parents, Karl and Izola Meyer and his brother Mickey.

A viewing will be held at the Imperial First Ward, 2738 Fillmore Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84106 on Tuesday August 23rd from 6 pm to 8 p.m.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday August 24th at 11 a.m. Preceding the funeral services, there will be a viewing from 9.30 a.m. until 10.30 a.m.

John Louis Meyer was born on the 7th of November, 1951. His father was stationed in Korea at the time of his birth and his sister Candy did not want another brother, she wanted a sister. She firmly declared that the new baby could not come home. Izola suggested they call the new baby, Chipper after a child who lived down the street. Candy acquiesced and so John Louis became Chipper.

Chipper attended Frank W. Ballou High School in Washington DC. Patrick Henry Jr. College and University of South Alabama.

Chipper lived his life by serving others. He worked for over thirty years taking care of adults with disabilities. He was patient, kind and loyal to the people he took care of.

Chipper joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the 10th of July 1981. He was a faithful member of the church all his life. He loved the gospel and was truly converted. He had been searching for the truth and when he found it, he held fast to it.

When Chipper met his future wife, Sally, and took her on their first date, he declared emphatically that he was not going to marry her. Sally had other ideas.

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 4th 1991. Chipper gladly and wholeheartedly took over the responsibilities of helping raise Sally’s children from a previous marriage, and they also had two children together, Caitlin and Dhylan.

Chipper was a gentle father, a bit of a pushover you might say, rarely raising his voice, even when he should have. He loved his children and grandchildren, and nothing made him happier than presenting them with a ‘treasure’ he had found for them.

Chipper created a beautiful playground in the backyard, so the grandchildren could come and play, and they will continue to play there as they grow. He loved spending time with them, he loved teaching them, and he did not want to leave them. He wanted to see them all grow up, but he can still do that from Heaven.

Chipper was called to serve a mission at the Family History Library in 2011 where he served faithfully for two years. Being called to serve this mission woke a sleeping giant in Chipper. He didn’t know much about computers when he was called, but he learned, and he made it his life’s mission to gather the names of his ancestors to submit to the temple, for their work to be done. And being the collector he is, he collected thousands.

A month before he died, Chipper was able to go to the temple with Sally where they did Temple work for his parents, and be sealed to them.

It was not easy for him, it was painful for his body, but manna to his spirit.

Chipper bore his testimony every Fast Sunday and wherever he went. He was usually the first to the podium, unless someone got there first, then he was second. He was never afraid to love, share and invite. He knew everyone’s name on the street, he loved his neighbors and they loved him. He never had an unkind word for anyone.

And Chipper loved his flowers, oh how he loved them. Last year he planted hundreds of bulbs, even when battling the ravages of chemo, he was outside, planting his tulip bulbs, so they could bloom in the spring. And they did, in all their glory, and they were stunning. I’m sure he’s found a patch of earth somewhere by now, and is busy pruning a garden there.

Chipper was diagnosed with Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer in July of 2021. He fought it with everything he had and he was brave to the last. He was optimistic and hopeful, and this grit, helped him stay with us for over a year.

He would always say, “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

But he did, he went where there is no more pain and sorrow, and we are glad he is at peace and we know the reunion with his parents and brother Mickey, and the thousands of people whose names he submitted to the temple, must have been a spectacular one.

He will be missed greatly and will be expecting us to love share and invite, and to be good to each other.

And we will, we promise!

Chipper loved his ward family, every single one of them and they loved him.

Chipper was a collector of treasures, and a collector of friends. He was an artist, a philosopher, a missionary, and a man with firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He showed us how to live because he did it so well.

God will be with you, Chip, until we meet again. I’ll take care of the flowers.

The family would like to thank Active Hospice who took such good care of Chipper at the end of his life. Special thanks to Spencer of Rocky Mountain Palliative Care for his care and compassion.

I am grateful for the service and friendship offered to him by some very special people who were there with him constantly to the end. They helped him fix the things he could no longer fix and carry what he could no longer carry.

Linda, Michael, Marv, Franc, Warren, Marc and George. Bless you.

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Henry Scott Holland.