Col. Bruce F. Meyers Sr.

Bruce grew up in the Pacific Northwest with his brother George and step-brother Douglas. The Meyers boys loved their active outdoor boyhood - swimming, diving, skiing and mountaineering. Bruce had climbed the six major peaks in Washington by the age of 16, and became a pilot at 19.

At Franklin High School in Seattle, to which he commuted by ferry across Lake Washington and bike or streetcar up to school, he was active in student government, played football and ran track. His academic and sports careers continued at the University of Washington where he played football and rowed crew as a Husky. Graduating early from high school, Bruce enlisted in the UW Naval ROTC program in 1942 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Marine Corps.

After WWII, still in the Marine Reserves and still attending classes at UW, Bruce became a forest ranger in a fire lookout on Mt. Rainier. Bruce married Jo-Anne Hopf in March, 1948, the same year he graduated from the university with a BS in geology.

Two years later he received a BA Law degree from UW, then a JD (with honors) from George Washington University in 1963 (Order of the Coif, Law Review). Post-graduate study included a year at Brown University, and completion of his LLM at Yale University, 1980. 2nd Lt Meyers rose to the rank of Marine Colonel, a career spanning 28 years of military service. He commanded a rifle company in Korea (1951); had a pivotal role in forming Force Recon, becoming the Commanding Officer of First Force Recon (1957); became Battalion Commander of the Sixth Fleet Landing Force (1966) and Commander, Special Landing Force Alpha aboard the (LPH) Iwo Jima.

In Viet Nam, Colonel Meyers commanded the 26th Marines at Khe Sanh, during the Tet offensive in 1968. Upon his retirement from the Marines in 1970, Meyers passed the Virginia State Bar, and then the Washington State Bar. He and his wife Jo-Anne moved with their three sons to Mercer Island, WA, where Bruce became a personal injury attorney, specializing in insurance litigation.

During this active legal career, Meyers also served as Associate Dean of UPS Law School. He retired from private practice after 38 years. Bruce loved to fly.

He and his boxer "Mercy" would often cruise around the Puget Sound and foothills in his 1940 J-3 Cub. He even flew that plane to the Arctic Circle. He was also an accomplished author, sharing his remarkable personal and military history in four published books and many articles.

During his last 18 years, he lived in Issaquah, making many new friends who, like his lifelong friends, loved his marvelous, entertaining, inspiring stories. Bruce F. Meyers is survived by two sons: Craig, his wife Mikel, their son Collin and daughter Mikey, and great grandchildren; and Bruce Jr. "Boots" and his wife Gail. Jo-Anne, Bruce's beloved wife of 64 years, passed in November, 2011, and their son Kit died in March, 1995.

Bruce is also survived by so many who were privileged to be his friends, and who will always honor and remember him as a wise, strong man, a proud Marine, a true patriot. Semper Fi Services to be held: Sept. 9 2017 1pm at St Michaels Church, 325 SE Darst St.; Issaquah WA 98027.

The Meyers' Family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka KS 66675-8517