Kenneth Wayne Meeks

Obituary for Kenneth W. Meeks

Captain Kenneth W. Meeks, CEC, USN (Ret), died in Cumming, GA, on October 29, 2024.

Born on September 28, 1942, in Union Point, GA, to William and Iris Meeks, Ken graduated from Gainesville High School in his hometown of Gainesville, GA. He attended Georgia Tech for one year before attending the United States Naval Academy (USNA), in Annapolis, Maryland. During his Naval Academy years, Ken was very active in the Baptist Student Union, and served as the State of Maryland President of the Baptist Student Union his first class (senior) year. Ken always enjoyed math, science, and engineering, and earned an area of emphasis (similar to a major) in Physics by taking an overload course every semester. He graduated from USNA with his Sixth Company in 1965.

For the first two years of his naval career, he served aboard the USS MACDONOUGH (DLG-8), in Charleston, SC, as the “Terrier” missile officer. He then transferred into the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), and spent two years studying Civil Engineering at Ga Tech as a graduate student. The Navy CEC are the officers for the famous “Seabees” which take their nickname from the abbreviation C.B. or “Construction Battalion.” Ken earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees while at Ga Tech, and later earned licensure as a registered Professional Engineer in both Louisiana and Virginia.

He met and married the love of his life, Lynn (nee Chapman), during his graduate student years. Like Ken, Lynn was also from Gainesville, GA, and she was a graduate of Stetson University in Florida. Ken and Lynn had one child, Michael, born in 1974.

Ken’s Navy career of over 29 years touched on all areas of responsibility of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. As a junior officer, he served during the Vietnam War building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure for the South Vietnamese people. As a mid-level officer, Ken served two years as a military liaison between the United States and the South Korean army in Seoul, South Korea.

His senior officer assignments as a Captain (O-6) included:

-Senior Engineer (Officer in Charge of Construction) on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, responsible for over thirty military construction projects;

-XO (Executive Officer, or second-in-command) for Southern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Charleston, SC;

-Commanding Officer of the Great Lakes Naval Training Center Public Works Center, which under his leadership was awarded the highest ranking of any public works center in the Navy;

-and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. in charge of the nation’s Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves. Among his other medals, Ken was awarded two Legions of Merit for outstanding service as a senior officer.

Retiring from the Navy after 29+ years in 1994, Ken decided he wanted to become a college professor. His love for teaching was the result of an unusual tour of duty as an exchange Naval Officer assigned to teach engineering at Army West Point (of all places!). Ken loved teaching the young cadets how to become successful Army officers in the Corps of Engineers.

After retiring, he earned a Doctorate in Civil Engineering (Structures) from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. This advanced degree made it possible for Ken to achieve professorial entry into academia. He accepted a position on the faculty of Tri-State University, Angola, IN (which is now renamed Trine University), a private university that specialized in teaching undergraduate engineering. He had a very successful second career there, retiring for the second time in 2008 as a Full Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environment Engineering. He was awarded professor emeritus status.

Ken was a Jaguar automobile enthusiast and owned a beautiful green 1984 XJ6 sedan and a dark blue 1988 XJS 12-cylinder coupe. He said many times his “Jags” brought him lots of years of enjoyment! He was also an avid sports fan, and enjoyed cheering on his favorite teams: Navy, Georgia Tech, and the Atlanta Braves.

Ken is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lynn; son Michael (USNA ’96); daughter-in-law Anne; three beautiful granddaughters; sister Wilma and her husband Ray; and two nieces.

Burial will be at Sawnee View Memorial Gardens in Cumming, GA, on November 4, 2024.

"Visitation will be on Monday, November 4, 2024 from 11:00am-12:00pm. A memorial service will also be held Monday, November 4, 2024 at 12:00 pm at the McDonald and Son Funeral Home Chapel in Cumming, Georgia. Pastor Jeff Jackson of First Redeemer Church will officiate. Burial and Graveside services will be held at Sawnee View Memorial Gardens, in Cumming, Georgia, immediately following the memorial service."