Shirley (Wiggins) Meek

                COSHOCTON- With heavy hearts we share with you that our beloved parents, Dick and Shirley Meek, passed peacefully within minutes of each other on January 16, 2021. They were holding hands and Mom’s head was resting on Dad’s shoulder. Their favorite music was playing softly in the background. It was a beautiful passing. Theirs was a love story for the ages. They had a fairytale ending...Our hearts are shattered, but we are at peace knowing that they are together forever. 

                For Dick and Shirley life was a journey of love and passion... Love for each other, for their children, their grandchildren, their great grandchildren, and for life in general. 

                They were childhood sweethearts who fell in love, started a family, and worked hard to build what has become a legacy of love for all of us.  Raising five kids from here to Alaska, never missing a grandkids’ special event, traveling far and wide to spend time with great grandchildren, and journeying across the world together. Theirs was a life of adventure - from sky diving to zip lining, their Bucket List was amazing!! Having devout love for family, they still always made time for each other. They met every single day, no matter where they were in the world, at 3:00 for a date and a toast to each other. 

                We have years of warm memories of holiday parties, backyard cookouts, vacations, birthdays, days on the beach, annual Meek Family Game Show nights, making silly family videos, water skiing and boating, love, laughter and togetherness. Our life together with them as inspiration was a wild and crazy ride!!

                We are devastated to lose them both at the same time. But, we are blessed that they walked together, hand in hand, through the Gates of Heaven into Eternity - never having to face ‘Until Death Do Us Part’...How many people can say that? It’s beyond lovely!!!!

                Edwin Richard Meek, born in Coshocton to the late Oliver Kenneth and Geneva (Slaughter) Meek, would have been 90 on January 19th. Shirley Marlene Wiggins, born in Roscoe to the late W. Walter and Erma (Finnell) Wiggins, was almost 88. They just celebrated 70 years of marriage on December 22, 2020. 

                Dick was an extremely social person who loved people and loved helping everyone in his life and anyone that he met. He was a romantic at heart and always put others before himself. It was ‘love at first sight’ with his little dark haired girl, Shirley. He served in the US Air Force as a Sergeant from 1951-1955. He was employed at Clow Pipe and Roscoe Village. He was an accomplished carpenter, a skill he learned from his father, Kenneth. He built the home in which he and Shirley raised their family. He loved woodworking, and was a “Jack of all trades”. He handcrafted many items for family and friends, lasting gifts they will always cherish.

                Shirley was the reserved one who shared her love for humanity by quietly donating to charities every single month. She spent years as a homemaker and excellent cook; she was employed and retired after 25 years of service at Burger Chef. She took many teenagers under her wing. She was an avid shopper and loved to dress to the hilt for every occasion, and her sense of style was admired by all. 

                Together they were members of Grace United Methodist Church and really enjoyed the camaraderie of friends at their Senior Adults Ministry Club. 

                Every winter they enjoyed spending a few months in Florida chasing the sun and the friendships that they made over the years. The entire family loved taking turns staying with them in Florida and all of the treks to water parks, Sea World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Center, rocket launches, roller coasters, Celebration and more. One of their favorite pastimes was visiting wineries all over Ohio and North Carolina. 

                Preceding them in death was a daughter-in-law, Cindy Meek; a brother-in-law, Donnie Arnold; and a great-grandson, Caleb Harper.

                In addition to Dick’s parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Gene Meek; and a sister, Marilyn Jones.

                In addition to Shirley’s parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Bill Wiggins.

                Survivors include their five children, Debbie (Dave) Howell of Wilmington, NC, Jim Meek of Dover, Vicci (Jay) Harper of Warsaw, Jeff (Delia) Meek of Coshocton, and Kelly Meek (Thomas Brown) of Fayetteville; thirteen grandchildren, Cassie Howell (Keith Sabin), Corey (Chrissie) Fischer, Seth (Laura) Howell, Jesse (Tana) Fischer, Natalie Meek (Stavros Polentas), Evan (Tiffany) Fischer, Austin (Terri) Meek, Sarah (Tanner) Dickerson, Chelsea (James) Perez, Jacob Roy, Brooklyn Brown, Joshua Harper, and Jordan (Carly) Harper; twenty-eight great-grandchildren; Shirley’s two sisters, Sharon (Jimmy) Holland of Liberty Hill, TX, and Kay Arnold of Miami, FL; a sister-in-law, June Meek; a brother-in-law, Don Jones; and numerous nieces & nephews.

               A family only memorial service for Dick and Shirley (Wiggins) Meek will be held at Grace United Methodist Church in Coshocton at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 12, 2021. Evangelist Ron Davis and Rev. Dairel Kaiser will officiate. It will be available to the public as a live stream at the bottom of this page. A graveside service, that will include military honors conducted by the Coshocton County Joint Veterans Council Honor Guard, will follow in Roscoe Cemetery, and is open to anyone wishing to attend.  The Fischer Funeral Home in Warsaw is handling arrangements. www.fischerfuneralhome.com

                In lieu of flowers, please send donations to three of their favorite charities: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org; Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarrior.org; or the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org.

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