Irving Avard Meeker ’40

"Bud" died at home on Feb. 12, 2000, surrounded by his loving family. He underwent the removal of a brain tumor 40 years ago, and a cancer of the pancreas 17 years ago, and was proud to survive. In each case he was able to return to his career as a children's surgeon.

Born in Montclair, N.J., he attended the Thatcher School, and after Princeton, obtained his medical degree from Columbia.

He served as a lieutenant in the Navy during WWII in the Pacific theater. One of the country's earliest pediatric surgeons, he was on the staff of St. Luke's Hospital, Children's Hospital of LA, and Huntington Memorial Hospital for many years.

To quote Bud, "In retrospect, the work I did 40 years ago on tissue transplantation as a Harvard teaching fellow in surgical research has proved worthwhile. Twenty-five years ago I founded the Pacific Assn. of Pediatric Surgeons, now the first or second largest organization of its kind in the world."

Predeceased by his daughter Jane, he is survived by his wife, Gloria, his brother, Leonard, sons Irving III and Ted M., daughters Ann Schiebelhut and Claire Arthur, 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

His classmates regret the delay in honoring him; he will be missed.

The Class of 1940