Elizabeth M. Meek

Julie (Hewitt) Meek, born on December 2, 1922 in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, passed away at age 95 on May 18, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Born into a family of professional musicians, she too excelled at accordion, piano and voice and first sang professionally at age 16. She was the female lead singer for several renowned bands of the WWII big band era, including the Casa Loma Orchestra and the Buddy Rich Band. She traveled widely, performing in prominent venues such as the Rainbow Room in NYC and took the opportunity to learn the game of golf, initially just to play with her band mates on their travels. In 1950, she left the world of professional entertainment to marry Howard, her Army Air Corps pilot and raise a family. The family enjoyed military life and duty stations included Germany, Libya, Louisiana, California and Texas. After her husband’s retirement from the Air Force to San Antonio in 1967, Julie, already an LPGA professional, taught golf to generations, from children and women to servicemen, civilians and retirees. She particularly loved teaching kids and many of them received golf scholarships. She was also a talented seamstress and created unique golf clothes for her daughter who was selected to Golf Digest’s 1979 list of the ”10 Best Dressed Women of Golf”. Animal welfare was also very important to Julie who personally rescued many abandoned animals and always gave free golf lessons to students who donated food to local animal shelters. Retiring to AFVII, she further devoted herself to family, teaching golf through age 91 and played the accordion and piano in retirement facilities and nursing homes throughout the city. In 2015, she was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Lt. Col Howard T. Meek, USAF (Ret) and she moved to Sacramento to live in the home of her daughter, Nancy Dein. Julie is survived by her daughter and husband John; grandchildren, Laurel Dein and husband Courtland Chillingworth, David, Michael, and Caroline Dein. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. Always the entertainer, Julie’s genuine and quick smile, as well as her wit and talents made her the life of the party. She will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Julie’s name to San Antonio Humane Society. Friends and family members may attend the graveside service on Thursday, June 7 from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, Shelter 1. Immediately following the graveside service, friends and family are invited to an informal reception and celebration of Julie’s life at the Ft. Sam Houston Golf Club, 1050 Harry Wurzbach Rd. San Antonio, TX 78209.