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'Lee' Meyer Dies: Legendary Southwest High School Music
Teacher
,
Lee Meyer wasn't content to teach children at the old Southwest High School how to sing and play musical instruments
while other Americans were off fighting in World War II.
She left her job and enlisted in the military. It turned out that the Marines were also looking for a few good women.
She proudly wore the olive-brown uniform for the next 30 years. She graduated from officer candidate school and, by the
end of the war, had won promotion to major. She stayed in the Marine Reserves and retired as a full colonel.
After the war, she returned to Southwest High and her first love: music.
Leontone "Lee" Meyer died Tuesday (March 20, 2012) at Mary, Queen and Mother Center in Shrewsbury after battling congestive
heart failure, her family said Thursday.
She was 98 and had been a longtime resident of Webster Groves.
Her father owned a printing shop, and she was the eldest of nine children. Their home in St. Louis was torn down for
the construction of Interstate 44 during the 1960s, and the family moved to Webster.
She graduated from Rosati-Kain High School, then from what is now Fontbonne University. She earned a master's degree
in music at the University of Southern California.
She returned to St. Louis to teach and also did volunteer work at the USO at Union Station. Whenever a Marine arrived
on a train, he would look for other Marines at the station's front desk, and Ms. Meyer was there to help them.
She was impressed with the camaraderie among the Marines. "She wanted to be a part of that," recalled her brother, Paul
Meyer of Kirkwood.
And, as she later recalled, "I wanted to do more for the war effort."
In the Marines, she served as a radar material officer from 1943 to 1946, traveled across the country and worked briefly
at the Pentagon. By the war's end, she had won four promotions.
Back in St. Louis, she stayed in the Marines, the only branch of military service at the time with a reserve program
for women.
She also returned to Southwest, where she directed more than 50 musical productions and the school choirs. She retired
in 1982.
Her students honored her with a large music box inscribed: "For 41 years you raised our voices in song ... and our spirits
in joy. You showed us the glory of music, and of our potential."
She never married. "When I had the opportunity, I wasn't ready," she said, "And when I was ready, I didn't have the opportunity."
In 2010, she donned her full-dress uniform once more to serve as grand marshal of the Veterans Day Parade here.
"Semper fi," she said. "Always faithful."
Visitation [was] be 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary, 6464 Chippewa Street. A Mass [was] celebrated
at 10 a.m. Monday at Annunciation Catholic Church, 16 West Glendale Road in Webster Groves.
Ms. Meyer donated her body to St. Louis University.
Survivors, in addition to her brother, include two sisters, Mary Ott of Webster Groves and Bobbe Martini-Emmett of Shrewsbury.
_ _ End _ _
'YOUTUBE' VIDEO OF SW HIGH:
See Video clips of Southwest High School
from 1930' through 1960s
(Posted Mar. 31, 2010)
A YouTube video web link was created by David Stone from the 1965 class for all SWHS alumni to
view and enjoy. The video clips begin back in the 1930's, and progresses through at least part of the 1960's.
Click (or Copy and Paste) the Link Below:
https://www.youtube.com/user/swgreenandgold#p/a/u/2/n7TBM4K2qvc
Anyone in touch with David, please give him a big thank you for all of us!
Steve Green Drives in 2008 St.Pat's Day Parade
Steve and Wendy [Krueger] Green drove their classic red 1981 Porsche 911 SC Targa in the St. Louis St. Patrick's Day parade
as lead car with 15 others from St. Louis chapter of the Porsche Club of America on March 15, 2008. All members had a great
time showing their prized sports cars to the very receptive crowd. Steve said, "I've wanted a classic car for years. It
was a thrill to show off my 'new toy' in a major city event."
| Steve Green in 2008 St.Pat's Parade |
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| (click on image to see an enlaged view) |
Nine SWHS Girls Invade Branson, MO.:
In October, 2007 nine SWHS Class of '64 "girls" took a trip down Memory Lane at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater in
Branson, MO. Paul Revere & the Raiders and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers had the girls rockin' and rollin'.
Appearing in Photo_2... Front row (L to R): Kathy [Macey] Moore, Lois [Shimamoto] Adams, Pat [Saito]
Bishop, Jane [Schnuriger] Kerlagon. Row 2 (L to R): Lois [Schubert] Haller, Judy [Zdellar] McGrath, Paul Revere, Sharon Reuter
Grimes (behind Saito), Linda Rodman Kaveny, Nancy Cullman Bippen.
| SWHS1964 Girls Invade Branson, MO. |
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| (click on image to see an enlaged view) |
| Photo_2 - Nine Girls with Paul Revere |
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| (click on image to see an enlaged view) |
Big 60 Birthday Bash:
Following a strenuous and nail-biting round of golf, these feisty and hardy soles celebrated a Group
60th Birthday Party for all present (regardless of exact birth date) at the home of John and Ruth Carrington in October 2006.
A grand time was had by all !!!
Pictured are Connie [Herberts] Perkinson in pink, Bob Strathman, Pat [Saito] Bishop, Linda [Rodman]
Kaveny, Judy [Zdellar] McGrath, Bart McLellan, and Larry Lalumondiere; backed up by Lois [Schubert] Haller, John Carrington,
Linda [Schubert] Baker, Nancy [Cullman] Bippen, and Kathy [Macey] Moore.
| Carrington Birthday Bash |
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| (click on image to see an enlaged view) |
MEMBER INFORMATION:
Profile: Michael F. Young
Memoriam of a full and
productive life
[Submitted: 10/23/2005]
Michael F. Young, Southwest High School class of 1964 member and co-founder / owner of Crestside
Ballwin Heating and Cooling in Affton, died Thursday, October 20, 2005 at age 60, in his home in Oakville, Mo. after a
yearlong battle with cancer.
Michael, born and raised in St. Louis, married his Southwest high school sweetheart,
Suzanne "Sue" (Richert) Young, in 1967, and together they established Crestside Ballwin Heating and Cooling in Affton in 1973.
Mike and Sue have owned and operated the business more than 30 years, serving customers throughout St. Louis County.
Though Michael did much of the work himself at first, they eventually hired employees
as the company's workload grew, now employing approximately 35 members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 36. Michael was
a member of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association.
Michael also took time to become a member of the Crestwood Elks, the Hampton Lions,
the Oil Mens Club, the Outlaws Auto Club, serve as a member and past president of the Affton Chamber of Commerce, a member
of the Sunset Hills and Crestwood chambers of commerce, and serve on the board of Citizens National Bank.
In addition to his wife Sue, Michael's survivors include two daughters, Lisa Graf of
Imperial and Kim Wertenberger of Festus; a son, Jeff Young of Fenton; and five very active grandchildren.
(If you'd like to make a memorial contribution for Michael Young, send it to the American
Lung Association of Eastern Missouri, 1118 Hampton Avenue, St. Louis, Mo. 63139.)
_____
After high school I eventually ended up in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama, ROLL TIDE, where
I got a B.S. in Biology. I then learned the joys of working at what is now Barnes/Jewish Hospital in Queeny Towers
Lab, and then Hematology in the Big House. After my tour of duty as an Army wife I came back to St. Louis and worked
at St. Luke's Hospital till I decided ,in all my wisdom, to be a psychiatric social worker. After getting an A.B. in
psych, it was off to Washington U. and GWB School of Social Work for that MSW. After working over on Arsenal Street
for 9 months I decided to leave with what sanity I still had left. I then remarried and had my daughter Kristin who
would spend her first 7 years of school with Kathy Pieber as her principal. I worked tirelessly in the library and became
a pro at changing the copier powdered ink. Thank You, Kathy, for giving Kristin the teacher I wanted every year. A
year and a half ago I joined a group called Soldiers' Angels, based in Pasadena , CA. We are not for or against
the war in Iraq and Afghanistan we are there to support the brave men and women who give up their lives there, to serve in
two very hot, dusty, dirty, hostile environments. We write letters, send emails and care packages to the men and women
we adopt for their [tour of duty] duty over seas, usually 6 months for Navy and 12-16 months of Army and Marines. It
is totally amazing how many military personnel have no family or anyone to support them as they are dodging bullets, IED's
and RPG's. Many Marines live on one MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) per day. Many do not have the luxury of a traveling
PX so their only luxuries in life come from organizations like ours. I am in the process of working on a project for
1800 men in Afghanistan and two smaller units in Iraq. You may have read about some of my men in the newspaper in late
June. The last Seal's body was recovered on July 11th. I no longer work in a hospital. Carpal tunnels and
replaced and fused discs have their down side, but then I really don't have time for a regular job anyway. LOL If
you would like to take part in my Christmas project or become a Soldiers' Angel and be an Angel in someone's life, please
email me or look at our web site at www.SoldiersAngels.org. For those of you who would like to make a donation we are a 501 (c) 3 charity. If anyone has Peggy Matula Williamson's
address I would love to have it.
Y'all take care and God Bless.
_____
I was looking at the reunion pictures today and was amazed to see a picture there that was me and
my wife. Although we had planned to attend, unfortunatily, Mary's uncle had passed away and we were in Hannibal, MO
that weekend. Now I don't know who that handsome devil and his companion are, but they are not me and Mary. Check
the attached picture [See Above].
Thanks Drew Bullerdick
_____
Profile: Dr. R. William Morris, M.D., M.B.A.
[from August issue, St. Louis Magazine]
Dr. R. William Morris, M.D., M.B.A. [SWHS `64]
and Dr. Robert Avery, M.D., F.A.C.P. at helm of
St. Louis Oncology Associates deliver targeted,
resourceful, personal, caring cancer therapies.
Doctors R. Willaim Morris and Robert Avery describe their practice as, "big enough to meet your needs,
but small enough to care." At St. Louis Oncology Associates, both physicians provide personalized ettention while striving
to educate patients on their illness, and delivering a wide range of treatment options. They are excited about the preventive
and curative potential of such modern scientific breakthroughs as mapping the human genome and are pleased to specialize in
targeted therapies for cancer through National Cancer Institute sponsored trials. "New targeted therapies allow chemotherapy
to work better," says Dr. Avery.
Ever mindful of the stress and anxiety that accompany a diagnosis of cancer, their compassionalte approach
to treatment motivates these doctors to encourage patients to consider therapeutic activities such as yoga, acupuncture and
prayer as beneficial ways of reducing stress and achieving wellness. "Alternative medicine, if applied wisely, is a
valuable adjunct to conventional medicine," says Dr. Morris.
St. Louis Oncology Associates
is located at 10012 Kennerly Road, #100, St. Louis, MO. 63128 (Phone 314-849-6066).
_____
My life has been extremely busy running the business my husband and I built over the last 38 1/2
years, the three Tic Toc Shops, and giving lots of love to my dog, Nickolaus -- The T.V. Star in my commercials.
In the last two years I lost two very special people; my best friend and husband, Dan, and my mother who was lucky enough
to live to the age of 95. I keep busy going out with friends, going out to dinner, dancing, ball games, and just having
a good time. Hopefully, I can do a little traveling this year. I've looked forward to seeing everyone again at
the reunion. I know a lot of our lives have changed in the last few years and it's great to catch up on all the latest.
Thanks! Carol
_____
Profile: ANITA (WANINGER) STECK
[Submitted:
2004]
After graduation from Washington U. with a degree in business I joined D'Arcy Advertising and worked
as a media researcher and media planner for five years. I married my husband, Dave Steck, in1972. We have three
great children.....Tina 30, Teri 25, and David Jr., 20. Our family has lived in Shrewsbury for the past 23 years, very
near our old haunts of Ted Drewes and Steak and Shake! I continued to work as a media director for a small ad agency
for thirteen years but worked mostly from home -- a real plus because I could also do all the "Mom" things like be scout leader,
room mother, parish council president, candidate for Mayor(!), and be volunteer at Cor Jesu, Ursuline and St. Louis U High
in many roles. For fun, we love to cruise and the entire family is going back to the Caribbean for another Thanksgiving
week trip. I also enjoy the alum activities of my sorority and garden club as well as our parish. My husband Dave
is the local manager of the Baker Odds & Ends store in Warson Woods, an outlet for Baker Furniture. I feel lucky
to have a strong healthy family and look forward to some grandkids some day!
_____
Profile: DIANE (SCHULZ) GILBERT [Submitted: 2004]
I got married in 1968 and received a B.S. degree in education from SEMO in 1969. Later I attended
Webster University for a Master of Arts with a teaching emphasis in communication. I taught middle school (speech and
drama) in Lindbergh school district for 25 years, and am now retired. My husband, Gary, is a graduate of Washington
University and works for Boeing. We have two children, Craig and Kristi, and one granddaughter, Nicole. I spend
my time involved in lots of hobbies, volunteer work, and travel.
_____
Profile: SANDRA (DIETZ) PROCTOR [Submitted: 2004]
I'm alive and well! I'm still working at the courthouse - secretary to a judge. My husband
is retired. We went on a Alaska cruise to in June 2004, and had a wonderful time. I have two grandchildren, one
on the way, and one step-grandson. Sorry to miss the old gang. I was in Sigma Phi Theta sorority at Southwest
and will miss seeing the girls.
_____
Profile: DWIGHT LAKIN [Submitted: 2004]
I have three great kids (two daughters and a son), five wonderful grandchildren (four girls and a
boy), and a terrific wife (she made me say that!). For most of my life, I've been in industrial sales, mostly in the
mid-west, and was very active in local community kids softball until recently. We play a lot of golf and just bought
a home in southern Arizona, high desert south of Tucson. If all goes according to plan, we will be retiring and moving
there in 3-4 years. I'm sure we will miss friends and family here in St. Louis, but year-round sunshine and more than
a hundred golf courses to conquer within an hour of our front door is just too good to pass up.
_____
Profile: JOHN P. COLVIS [Submitted: 2004]
Since graduating from Southwest in June of 1964 I entered college full time for a year and a half,
then summered as a Merchant Marine in the Pacific Ocean. I volunteered as an infantry rifleman in the US Marine Corps,
and served 13 months in Viet Nam (took part in the 1st battle of Khe Sanh, otherwise known as the Hill Fights). I returned
to college, got married and five and half years later got divorced. I worked full time as a quality control lab technican,
got married a second time in 1976, and earned my Bachelors Degree in Applied Mathematics from Washington University in 1977.
I was hired as a Reliability Engineer by MacDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. in 1978 to work on the Tomahawk Cruise
Missible Guidance System. I've been in aerospace ever since, working on projects such as the MX Missile, Titan, habitats
for microgravity, and designing an orbital space plane. My most exciting adventure has been the resolution of a quandry
over fractions. It had to do with the empirically real connection between multiplication and addition. In 1979
it became clear to me. When Einstein said, "Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not", he wasn't kidding.
_____
Profile: JACK MORRIS [Submitted: 2005]
After high school, I attended Harris Teachers College (now Harris-Stowe State) in St. Louis and graduated
in 1968. I taught 6th grade for one year in Arnold, MO, and then a half year at Stix Elementary in St. Louis. I
was drafted in 1969, but elected to volunteer for the Air Force instead. I went to Officer Training School, got commissioned
as a 2nd Lieutenant, and then went to Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, OK. There I ran into fellow classmate,Tom
Stringer, who was about 6 months ahead of me in training. I earned my USAF wings and served as a pilot for 24 years,
retiring in 1993. My Air Force career was fun, but the long family separations led to a divorce. My 2 sons, John
and Scott, were high school graduates by that time. In 1994 I returned to teaching as an Air Force Junior ROTC Instructor
at Walter E. Stebbins High School in Dayton, OH. I remarried in 1999 to a Dayton beauty, Joan, who had a lovely daughter
the same age as my oldest son. My step-daughter made me a grandfather in 2003, and now I am an absolute and total "sucker"
who will do anything for my beautiful granddaughter, Ellie. My son John, graduated from the University of Dayton with
a degree in Economics, served as an officer in the Marine Corps for 4 years, worked for NCR for several years, and will begin
Medical School in Sept. 2005. He is more stable than my youngest. Scott graduated from the University of Dayton
with a degree in Secondary Education and taught one year in Memphis, TN. Deciding he didn't like teaching, he went to
the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and worked as a funeral director for about 4 years in Denver, CO. There he
met and married a local girl, quit funeral work, started selling forklifts and service contracts, but is now a Realtor! Neither
of my married sons have children.
_____
After high school I attended St Louis University. It was affordable, handy, and they accepted
me. I graduated in 1968 with a major in the “easiest courses I could find” and a minor in Army ROTC. I
took Army ROTC at Washington University because STL U didn’t offer it. After graduation it was off to Fort Benning,
Georgia to start my great adventure – infantry, airborne and ranger schools. A short stay in Kansas followed,
then off to RVN. I was glad to get out of Kansas; those folks in Manhattan, Kansas didn’t care for anyone associated
with Fort Riley. I did my year in the rice paddies with a rifle company and crossed paths with Bart McLellan as I was
leaving. I decided to stay in the Army but I wasn’t too sure I wanted to go back to that place. Fortunately,
I spent the next 21 years in the States punctuated by two separate one year tours in Korea and a lot of time in the Pentagon.
After I left the Army in 1989 I stayed in the northern Virginia area. I tried my hand at substitute teaching.
Much to my dismay I quickly found out I didn’t have the temperament or patience. For the past 15 years I’ve
worked as a project manager for a succession of defense contractors. In 1971, Judy Caughey agreed to marry me and we’ve
been together ever since. We have a son who graduates this year from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Judy and I enjoy doing arts & crafts and traveling, I enjoy a lot of golf. I would love to hear from anyone
who wants to email me. I can say that because I don’t think I owe anyone any money.
_____
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