Josephine “Jo” Meeker (Measner)
October 12, 1930 – January 11, 2021
(Professor) Josephine P. Meeker passed away peacefully, of Covid, on Monday, January 11, 2021 at St. Catharine’s General Hospital. Josephine was predeceased by her loving husband and soulmate of fifty years, Donald Measner, who died in May, 2018. She is survived by her sister Rosemary Walton (Ronald) and her nephew David (Karen) Walton in Hamilton, her niece, Wendy Nelson in Toronto and many nieces and nephews in the United States.
Born in Hamilton in 1930 to William “Bill” Stanley and Edythe Meeker, Josephine was the elder of two daughters. Her father was active in the Hamilton business community and practiced community pharmacy throughout his lifetime. Her parents instilled in Josephine a love of the arts and supported her aspirations for high academic achievement. Her beloved grandmother (and namesake), Esther Josephine Scott, encouraged her to learn to play the piano and by age 4 she was performing at public recitals. During their childhood, Jo accompanied her sister, a talented singer, on piano during concerts at the Hamilton Conservatory of Music and other venues.
Josephine was a proud graduate of the then fledgling McMaster University and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1953. Josephine remained actively engaged in the University as a member of the alumni over the years, attending Class Reunions including the most recent 65th Reunion held in 2018.
After McMaster, she began her teaching career at Hill Park Secondary School in Hamilton where she was responsible for the United Nations (UN) Club, chaperoning numerous student trips to Washington and New York and cultivating her passion for intergovernmental and global affairs.
By 1960, Jo had continued her graduate studies in geography at Indiana University and Columbia University in New York City, where she met her future husband, Donald. During her studies in New York City, she continued her work with the United Nations. After completing her graduate studies at Columbia, Josephine returned to Canada to continue her teaching and academic career at Brock University in 1965, shortly after the University was established. Josephine was the first female Faculty member hired by Brock University, an honour she wore with pride.
After returning from work abroad in Turkey, Donald reunited with Josephine and they married at the McMaster University Chapel on June 22, 1968 and settled in Thorold, Ontario. They enjoyed many years of being geographers together. Theirs was a 50-year marriage between two true kindred spirits. Their days were filled with joint geography projects and they were avid travellers, both for leisure and academic purposes. Their historic home was a venue for international students living “in residence”, for study groups and lively gatherings where students and faculty joined together with their large cadre of family and friends. Donald reigned in the kitchen, enjoyed cooking and playing host to their guests. Josephine sparked engaging conversations and often entertained by playing her beloved grand piano.
Similar to her passionate support of McMaster University, Josephine was proud to dedicate her career to the growth and development of Brock University from 1965 through retirement in 1996. As a committed academic leader, over the years, Josephine was instrumental in development of Brock’s School of Continuing Studies and the Women’s Studies Programme. As well as serving as Professor in the Department of Geography, she was appointed to the University Senate, where she served a term as Chair. During her time at Brock, she used her skills in geography when appointed as a member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission, working diligently to increase awareness and protection of the Niagara Escarpment.
Josephine was a passionate teacher and mentor, ardently committed to her students and colleagues, with whom she maintained many lifelong friendships. Ahead of her time, Josephine was a pioneer and trailblazer for women in academia and was extremely proud of her career as a woman geographer. She was admired by all for her independence, keen intelligence and fierce determination.
Cremation has taken place. Internment of ashes will take place at the Meeker Family Plot in Hamilton Woodland Cemetery as well as at the Measner Family Plot in Farmington, Wisconsin. There will be a virtual celebration of Josephine’s life for students, colleagues, friends and family on Sunday, March 7 at 2 p.m. To participate, please contact the family via Wendy Nelson (wnelson@rogers.com) or Karen Walton (karen@thewaltons.ca)
Donations can be made in memory of Josephine Meeker to McMaster University Library (www.givetomcmaster.ca or call directly to 905-525-9140 Ext 24224) or to Brock University (www.brocku.ca/donate).
My deepest sympathy to the family of Jo Meeker. She was a beloved professor of ours back in the 1970’s at Brock University. Besides being an inspiring teacher, she was smart and funny and we all trusted her as she treated everyone with great respect. She and her husband Don would have all 4rth year students to their home for dinner. We were privileged to have been students of hers. RIP Jo; you will be dearly remembered and missed.
I was hired by Jo to work alongside her in August of 1971 at Brock University. She gave me my first real job and I will be eternally grateful for that. I had always wanted to work for Brock, and retired from there 44 years later. She was a great inspiration to me as I was not aware of many (or might I say any) female executives at that time. She didn’t have just one role but two, including her appointment as Director of the Division of Continuing Education, which she founded, and as a professor in the Department of Geography. She taught me a lot; brought an otherwise shy woman out of her shell. She holds a special place in my heart.
This news brings great sadness to both me and my spouse. Jo touched both of our lives. I first met her many years ago as a student at Brock University, where she mentored and helped everyone grasp on to and build upon their strengths and overcome their challenges. Years later she met and connected with my husband through the Niagara Escarpment Commission where they both rallied for sustainable development and conservation. They soon identified the connection. A wonderful woman and truly outstanding role model- she will be missed and remembered by us.
I too have very fond memories of Jo. I was hired in 1979 as the first permanent female faculty member in Sociology, and met Jo very shortly afterwards. In those days a new female faculty member was a big event in the social sciences for the women who were already there. Jo was one of the very first to welcome me, and to invite me to lunch. We several times that first year went to a grand lunch in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Jo did a lot to help me get oriented to the Brock community. I remember Jo’s relationship with Margaret Mead, and her grief when that great mentor died. During the 16 years I was at Brock, I could always feel my face light up when I encountered Jo somewhere, and we stayed on very good terms. I can imagine her being a joy to have as a teacher, as a colleague in the same department, as a sister, and as an aunt. Jo was a trail blazer, a character, and a warm engaging human being. She will be greatly missed.
My sympathies to Jo’s family. My husband and I knew Jo very well because he started at Brock in 1964. She spoke at my husband’s funeral and gave a Brock eulogy in 2004. Jo was a wonderful faculty member to all who knew her. My love to all.
Jo and Don lived 2 doors down from us in Thorold. Although I was young at the time, I remember my father, Arnie Lowenberger speaking very fondly of both of them. My condolences to her family.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Jo (as she preferred to be called) Meeker.
I wish I could have had more time to chat with Jo but my time with her was limited, as we packed up all her things. Her stories were always interesting. She was sweet, kind, knew what she wanted and how. A very strong lady.
We had the pleasure, last year of moving Jo from her Dundas home to her last home in St Catharines. Her hope was to go back to some of her roots and be closer to Thorold.
We were saddened by the news of her passing and take comfort knowing we had the chance to meet such an incredible, lovely lady.
My condolences and sympathy to the family. I had the honor and privilege of crossing paths with her during my final year of Human Geography (1996) during the internship component of an Honours undergraduate degree at Brock. She was a contrast in many ways to my experience in post secondary education, as she took a keen interest and caring for all the students beyond academic performance. The positive outlook and optimism that became obvious was a legacy that I am sure touched the lives of many fellow alumni.
It is with great sadness at the loss of Jo. She was an inspiration and a treasure.
John & Teresa Menzies
“Miss Meeker” taught me world history to 1789 as part of my grade 11 course work at Hill Park Secondary School in Hamilton. I was 13 years old, had not yet reached puberty, and was new to the school. Jo Meeker founded a United Nations Club at the school that year and organized and through the club led three trips in three successive years: to New York City, to Washington, and to Ottawa. As the oldest of four children of a widowed mother who was earning a modest salary, I experienced through those trips a vision of a wider world that would otherwise have been unavailable to me. More importantly, Jo Meeker was a mentor to me (as to many other of her students) and a formative influence on my life. I was glad to join her and the Anglican bishop of Niagara, Ralph Spence (a former Hill Park student), for a lunch reunion of former United Nations Club members on the weekend of the 50th anniversary of Hill Park’s opening, in 2005. I am sad to hear that Jo Meeker is no longer with us. May she rest in peace.
There are no words sufficient to the task of expressing our enduring gratitude for the blessing of ‘Ma’ in our lives. From inspired teacher to thoughtful boss (Thorold project, TA and research assistant), to role model for our teaching careers, to generous friend, to forgiving foil for our silly antics (usually aided and abetted by ‘Uncle D’), to mentor of awe-inspiring proportions … Jo has been a treasured part of our lives. While we will miss her terribly, her legacy shines brightly in all of the family, friends and students who have been touched by the magic that was Jo Meeker!
I remember Josie very fondly. She was my cousin, and although distance prevented us from seeing each other a great deal, among her many interests she did extensive research in genealogy to eventually find that the Meeker family belonged to the Mayflower Society. My sons John and Earl enjoyed visiting her in Toronto.