Written by Bernice
MEYER Leonard Meyer, 95, died September 1 at his home, 210 El Dorado Dr., Richmond. He also maintained a summer residence in The Oceans in Virginia Beach since 1975. He was born December 3, 1903 in Baltimo re, Md., the first child of Anne (Norvick) and George Harry Meyer. He married Ruth (Radman) Meyer on December 26, 1926 in Richmond. When she died August 27, 1993, they had been married nearly 67 years.
Leonard’s family moved to Richmond in 1909. Leonard attended John Marshall High School, playing clarinet in the cadet band. At 15 he left school to work for his father in a butcher stall of the old 17th Street Market. From 1923-25 he ran his own meat stall in the 6th Street Market. He took over his father’s stall in 1925 when his father became ill with cancer. He died on February 24, 1926.
With his three brothers Leonard opened a store on 17th Street opposite the market and began making hot dogs with second-hand equipment purchased in Philadelphia. Eventually, as George H. Meyer Sons, the business moved to the corner of 17th and Franklin where it remained until 1948 as a wholesale meat packing company.
The company moved to Overbrook Road near the Hermitage Road Stock Yards in 1948 into a modern meatpacking plant with slaughterhouse, operating a fleet of refrigerated trucks that delivered meat to groceries and institutions throughout Eastern Virginia. When it closed in 1978 it was the last independent packing house between Atlanta and Baltimore. He continued to maintain an office in the building which housed several small businesses after 1978, and when the building was sold in 1994, he maintained a small office in the area.
While his brothers had responsibility chiefly for sales and distribution, Leonard was knowledgeable about every aspect of production: buying livestock, slaughtering, formulating recipes for packaged products, maintaining equipment, following federal and state regulations, handling relations with employees and labor union. He and his company were an early and continuous behind-the-scenes supporter of the Richmond Food Cooperative (now Richfood). Several times after World War II he testified before a Congressional committee to protest against control of meat production and prices always arguing that controls kept prices artificially high and supply and demand would bring prices down.
During World War II he turned the entire back yard of his home on Monument Ave. into a Victory Garden and raised chickens in the garage. He was the subject of several local newspaper articles dealing with the meatpacking industry. Although not a joiner, he was a generous contributor to many organizations and institutions. With his late wife, he was a founder of Temple Beth-El. He was a “member in perpetuity” of the Richmond Jewish Community Center where he worked out five days a week in its Health Club until last June. Until 1996 he enjoyed fishing in Chesapeake Bay. He was the oldest member of the Richmond Masonic Meridian Lodge No. 284, which was established on 12/3/03, the day Leonard was born, and which he joined in 1925. He was a constant reader, especially of American and Jewish history and biography.
It is not possible to convey the true uniqueness of the man, his fierce independence, the force of his personality, his colorful language, outrageous wit, opinions, insights and “smarts” about the ways of the world. He was dedicated to his business. He could not understand “retirement”. He drove his red Ford pickup, marketed and cooked his own meals until two months ago. He was devoted to his family.
He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Mildred and Robert G. Eskeles; his devoted friend, Matthew Ragland; sister-in-law Beatrice (Radman) Lorber, Margate, Fla.; his children, Herbert (Buddy) and Helen (Salsbury) Meyer, White Plains, N.Y.; Bernice (Meyer) and Dr. Seymour Saltzman West Hartford, Conn.; grandchildren, Dean and Cindy Meyer, Richmond, Bruce Meyer Dallas, Texas, Deborah Meyer, Harrison, N.Y., Lisa (Meyer) and Stuart Cohen, San Diego, David and Ana Saltzman, Windsor Conn, Robert and Beth Saltzman Redwood City, Calif., Lisa (Saltzman) and Yuval Mishli Maccabim, Israel; great-grandchildren, Rachel and Emily Meyer, Richmond, Amy and Dana Cohen California, Daniel and Jonathan Saltzman, California, Doron, Smadar and Amit Mishli, Israel. Three generations of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by brothers Frank, Jerome and Norman Meyer and their wives, and his nephew, George H. Meyer.
Funeral is Friday at 1 p.m. in the Beth-El Chapel of Forest Lawn Cemetery. A memorial period will be observed at his home through Monday.
The family will appreciate memorial contributions to Eskeles Religious Education Fund or Playpen Pals Infant/Youth Fund of Temple Beth-El, to the Richmond JCC Health Program, to Jewish Family Services or any charity of the donor’s choice.