Richard Harry Meehan

Rich Meehan departed this earth the morning of Oct. 9, 2007, in Freeland on Whidbey Island.

As a boy growing up during the early 1960s in Montana, he was always seeking a new project, taking advantage of the open spaces to test his skills making early version dune buggies and challenging automotive machines.

Rich was born Jan. 12, 1945, in Livingston, Mont. He was the kind of person who led others and developed his leadership skills at an early age. His younger twin brothers soon realized that he was often leading them into trouble. Although he caused his folks much concern in his younger years, Rich grew to be a very responsible adult and made his parents very proud.

When the Vietnam War reached Montana, Rich was the one Meehan boy who found himself in combat in the jungles. He served his country in the 25th Infantry Division during the Tet Offensive and was one of the lucky to survive.

Out of the service, like many soldiers, he used the GI Bill to get through college earning his MBA from the University of Montana at Missoula. Shortly thereafter, he got a job in California working for the federal government. Later he took a job with USGS in Alaska and then transitioned to the Alaska Railroad where he served as their human resources director for many years.

Alaska was a great place for Rich. He helped to raise two girls, Kim and Tonya and four great dogs, Dusty, Corky, Muffy and Valen”Tino.”

Being a man driven to do projects, he found booming Alaska a great place to build and remodel houses in his spare time. He always had a small fleet of snow machines, and jet skis for family and friends visiting the cabin he and his wife Robyn built at Big Lake.

Rich loved his children. His family quickly grew when he and Robyn took on being field directors for the Youth for Understanding Exchange program in Alaska. Through this volunteer work they helped kids and families enjoy another culture. Often they hosted students themselves and those kids got added to their family from then on.

His family is now worldwide. Rich was a great mentor for young kids and took great interest in their success as young adults. In many respects the kids became projects for him.

In later years, in semi-retirement, he and Robyn built their retirement home on Whidbey Island where Rich began his most challenging project of all: golf. He found that kind of work took a lot of his time, more than most of his projects. He was so dedicated to golf that he and Robyn spent half of their time in Arizona to remodel houses and golf in the winter time. He worked that game until his brain tumor said “no more.”

Rich had a great sense of humor about life and seldom frowned. He always had something funny to say even when he was fighting for his life. The lives of all who knew him are so much better for having him in it. Even in his final days, he taught us how to handle the toughest of times with dignity and grace. As Rich would say “It is what it is.” He will forever be in our hearts.

Rich will be deeply missed by his wife Robyn; daughter Kim and her husband Brian; daughter Tonya and her husband Will; his father Emmett (92); his older brother Bob; his twin brothers Don and Dennis, Dennis’s wife Kristina and Rich’s two granddaughters who brought him much joy Shelby and Emma Ross-Williams together with many other friends and family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Washington State University Extension of Island County in Coupeville, Wash. in support of families and the environment.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Rich’s honor at the Cox home at 2 p.m. Oct. 20, at 5380 East Harbor Road, Freeland.