James Andrew Meek

JAMES ANDREW MEEK JR. was born to the late James Andrew Meek Sr. and Fannie Davis Meek in South Carolina. He moved to Washington, D.C. at about the age of ten. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Washington, D.C. After proudly serving in the United States Army for three years during World War II, he became employed at the United States Postal Service. He functioned in many capacities while working at the U.S. Post Office, in both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Md. Some of them include being a letter carrier, a parcel postman and finally, a supervisor on the west platform truck terminal of the main post office in Baltimore, Maryland. He often had secondary employment in addition to the Postal Service. He painted houses, drove cabs and worked as a vendor coordinator at Memorial Stadium. In 1986 he retired from the Postal Service, being awarded certificates for thirty-six years of service.In the 1940’s he married Annaise Elizabeth Yonge, and to that union one daughter, Karen, was born. James was fondly known as Jimmy, Jim, Uncle James, “that old Jim Meek” and Grand Daddy He had a charismatic personality and a kind spirit He liked his vegetables fresh picked, not canned or frozen, and bread was required with dinner, preferably hot biscuits. He was a big flirt. He was active in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and attended The March on Washington with his postal worker’s union. Jim was also known for his heroic actHe once drove so first, transporting his injured and bleeding niece to the hospital, that her mother, his sister-in-law, exclaimed, “We don’t need the Police. We’ve got Jimmy!” In the mid-1960’s he received a commendation for saving a family from a burning house that he came upon on his postal route. We will miss hearing him answer his telephone with his customary “Yellow."James enjoyed traveling by car or plane. He enjoyed jazz, especially Count Basie’s Orchestra, and was an avid reader. Baseball was his sport of choice. He always rooted for the Orioles, He was most passionate about fishing. It didn’t matter if it was from a deep sea fishing boat or a pier. With his friends, he helped coordinate several annual, late April, bus trips to fish in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He fished from Florida to Canada, sometimes with his club, “Just fishing, Ain’t Misbehaving Ltd James leaves to cherish his memory: his loving daughter, Karen Meek; four loving grandchildren, of whom he was very proud, Bryson Brown, Ariel Brown, Garrett Meek and Blair Meek; great-granddaughter, NaDiya Brown; a special friend, Catherine Coleman; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Tributes

James Andrew Meek

October 1, 1921 - October 19, 2007