When David Anthony Meeker was leading an effort against the repeal of Summit County’s charter government in 1982, he found a 300-pound tree stump in his yard.
He set up the hunk of wood and convinced city and county leaders to “stump” for the charter. For two hours, they stood on the stump and sang or recited poems in favor of the charter. The stunt worked, as Summit County’s charter still exists today.
This was the type of creative tactic that Mr. Meeker, who died Thursday, was known for during his lengthy career that included an interesting blend of politics, journalism, public relations and activism.
“He was always working on ways to communicate well,” said Wayne Hill, a spokesman for the University of Akron who knew Mr. Meeker for 30 years and worked with him at Edward Howard & Co., a public-relations firm in Cleveland. “Sometimes gimmicks work, like the ‘stump’ speech. He was always strategic and thoughtful.”
Meeker, 76, had a heart attack while golfing Monday at Good Park Golf Course. One of Mr. Meeker’s friends and two Akron police officers performed CPR on Mr. Meeker until paramedics arrived, rushing him to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital. His injuries, though, proved too severe for him to recover.
“Today at 11:22 [a.m.] I lost my first great love, my father, David Anthony Meeker,” wrote his daughter, Christine Meeker Lange, in a Facebook post.
“Dad was a gentle giant, a larger than life personality who gave a great bear hug. He was a man of great integrity, a dedicated volunteer, and the one who gave me the gene for hard work and perseverance,” she continued.
“I am so deeply blessed that he was chosen to be my guide here, on earth, and I know that he will continue to help me navigate my future. I love you, Dad. … Thanks to all of my friends and family for your love and support during this extremely difficult time. On June 1, which would have been his 77th birthday, toast to him!”
The news of Mr. Meeker’s death was a hard hit for many who knew and worked alongside Mr. Meeker in the Akron area for many years.
“I’m just going to miss him terribly,” Hill said.
“It’s really sad,” said Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State & Federal Communications, who worked as a PR intern for Meeker while she was a graduate student at Kent State University.
Mr. Meeker grew up in Akron and received his journalism degree from Kent State, where a scholarship is now given in his name. He worked as a city hall reporter for the Beacon Journal and the St. Louis Post-Gazette before switching to politics as the executive secretary for the St. Louis mayor.
He returned to Ohio to dabble in state politics, first as an assistant in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and then as executive director of the Ohio Democratic Party, a position he lost in 1974 to what he attributed to internal party problems.
Mr. Meeker decided to return to Akron, first establishing a governmental consulting firm and then Meeker-Mayer Public Relations in 1976. He said at the time that his family wanted to return to Akron.
Bartz was an intern for Mr. Meeker’s firm, where she recalls he had her drive to East Liverpool every week to meet with residents to gauge their support for a company looking to open a business there.
“He taught me to be honest and ethical,” she said.
Mr. Meeker formed another PR firm, David A. Meeker and Associates, in 1984, which later merged with Edward Howard & Co.
Hill called him a wonderful mentor and said he was skilled, well-regarded and practical.
Mr. Meeker’s one attempt at political office was in 1987, when he challenged now-retired Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic in the Democratic primary. Plusquellic, who went on to be the city’s longest-serving mayor, was seeking his first full term.
Mr. Meeker worked hard in the campaign, telling the Beacon Journal at the time that he wore out three pairs of shoes with all of the walking he did going door to door. Hearing about this, Bartz, then working in Washington, D.C., sent him a campaign donation and suggested he use it for new shoes.
After losing to Plusquellic, Mr. Meeker dedicated the remainder of his career to public relations, focusing on environmental, health and governmental affairs. He represented companies like the Vinyl Institute, B.F. Goodrich, Kent State, Mead Corp., Nokia and 3M. He retired from Edward Howard in 2001 at the age of 62.
Retirement didn’t slow Mr. Meeker down, though. He continued to be active in the community, most recently serving on boards for Hower House, Valor Home and Kent State.
“That’s who he is,” said Hill, who kept in touch with Mr. Meeker over the past three decades. “He cares about people. He’s willing to work on their behalf. He’s not looking for notoriety.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.