Larry Meyer “loved sharing the Word of God, whether through casual conversations, thoughtful advice, or the way he treated others with compassion and humility,” said a granddaughter. Larry, 80, died July 4 in hospice care in Kirkland, Wash., with end-stage Parkinson’s disease. To the end he spoke, even with a wavering voice, of the goodness of God. A deep belief in God’s goodness and love, kindness, family, and baseball were words that defined Larry Meyer throughout his whole life.
He grew up in a small farming community in north central Iowa, eventually graduating from Dordt College (now University) and Calvin Theological Seminary. After ordination in 1971, Larry served Holland (Minn.) Christian Reformed Church and Crossroads Fellowship CRC in Des Moines, Iowa. He then felt called to work more exclusively with teenagers and took a teaching job at Watson Groen (now Shoreline) Christian School in Seattle, Wash.
After 17 years of teaching, Larry joined University Presbyterian Church in Seattle as a congregational care pastor. When that job ended, he served as an on-call weekend pastor at Bellevue (Wash.) Presbyterian Church and as a substitute teacher for King’s High School in Seattle.
Larry and his wife, Barbara, enjoyed hiking and ferry rides to various islands of the west coast. In later years, they took up distance walking, completing several half marathons and one full marathon. Larry also enjoyed playing baseball and watching the sport on TV whenever he was able.
Larry is survived by Barbara, his wife of 58 years; three children; and three grandchildren.
About the Author
A former nurse and chaplain, Janet Greidanus is a freelance news correspondent and long-time writer of the In Memoriam column for The Banner.