George W. Meeks, 70
We lost a caring, smart, loud, and humorous husband, father, and grandfather when George Meeks passed away in Stevens Point on May 18, 2018, at age 70.
In his final days, George was surrounded by his wife Miriam and his three sons, Jason, Michael, and Christopher. But the final days were not the important part of George’s life or story.
George was born March 27, 1948, in Milwaukee, the son of Earl and Charlotte Meeks. George, his brother Kenny and sister Jeanne Ann, had an eventful childhood growing up in a house his dad built in Wauwatosa. As a child, he once owned a pony that Earl bought at an auction and brought home in the back of a station wagon.
After high school, George moved to Stevens Point to attend the UWSP. There, and while studying abroad in England, he made lifelong friends. At UWSP, George also met Miriam “Bibi” Gaborsky, his beautiful young wife-to-be, when he was working as a Green Coat at the Allen Center, supposedly supervising rowdy freshmen. Eventually, George made the best decision of his life and married Miriam. The two were happily married for 45 years.
After college, George began teaching, first in Rosholt, and then in far-flung Dubbo, a small town in the Australian outback. George and Miriam shared many adventures in Dubbo, avoiding snakes and fighting off giant insects.
George and Miriam returned to Stevens Point and after several more years teaching in Rosholt, George started at Ben Franklin Junior High where he taught History and Civics. For almost three decades George’s booming voice could be heard throughout the school halls as he loudly greeted students and sang ridiculous jingles—poorly. George’s sense of humor fit in well with his eighth and ninth grade charges. His teaching style captivated generations of junior high schoolers and he inspired countless students to become teachers, search for justice, and think critically about the world around them. Throughout his career, George was also a champion for students being bullied and marginalized and few students ever made the mistake of teasing a classmate within earshot of Mr. Meeks.
George spent his career teaching but he was also devoted to his family. With three boys, their home became a local hangout for the neighborhood kids. George built a fort in their backyard, took the boys camping, and attended many Scout meetings—he was a world-class dad. He loved his kids unconditionally and helped them grow into respectable men.
The boys married talented, beautiful, and intelligent women: Erica, Andi, and Sara. Eventually, George became a grandfather to six wonderful kids: Lily, Leila, Eli, Marshall, Athena, and Miles. George loved napping with the grandkids and taking them to get ice cream and he never agreed with the idea that you should do the nap first.
George filled his life with joy and laughter. He enjoyed reading, photography, working on his computer, sending thoughtfully curated email forwards, and eating ice cream. He loved spending time with his friends, playing cards, and building decks and sheds with the Ben Franklin work crew. He could tell a bad joke better than anyone—mostly because he had so much practice. George was also an active member of Holy Spirit Parish in Stevens Point where he attended mass and volunteered, including taking communion to those who could not travel.
George was strong-willed and incredibly loving. His impact upon this world will reverberate in the lives of those many students, scouts, friends, and family he touched. We will remember him for his loud voice, extreme kindness, humor, and love.
A celebration of George’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29, at Holy Spirit Parish, 838 Fremont St., Stevens Point. Friends and family can come to share laughs and reminisce from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church.
George would want you to know that you should not send flowers or anything else, but if you feel compelled you can honor his memory with a donation to the Holy Spirit Parish Haiti Mission (details at https://holyspiritstevenspoint.org/donations). Or just help someone that needs it; that is what George would do.
We want to personally thank the amazing staff at the Portage County Health Care Center and Ministry Hospice for their support and assistance these past months. Their dedication to our family’s wellbeing was exceptional.