Patrick Jay Meckley

Artist, Inventor, and Friend to all…

Patrick Meckley at the age of 67, peacefully passed away at his home in Dwight Illinois on Tuesday, November 10th.

Patrick was raised on a 15 acre farm in Westover Pennsylvania. He was the son of Marintha Mae and Donald Warren Meckley.

After graduating Harmony High School 1967 he enlisted in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. Following his service stationed at the Charleston Naval Base he worked for the Westover Tannery Company.

He then moved to Philadelphia and worked for Hancock Insurance Company, and to Washington D.C. where he worked as a carpenter.

While biking in Alexandria Va., he met his first wife Judith from Odell IL. They moved to Dwight after having two of their four children (Theodore and Stephen before move, Hans and Marintha after)

Patrick was a Dwight Volunteer Firefighter, Boy Scout Troop Leader, and a stay at home father. As a stay at home father he was invited onto the Phil Donahue Show in 1982.

Shortly after moving to Dwight he found work as a carpenter helping build Phil’s Harvest Table and the bowling alley.

He then found his calling as an electronic technician at the William Fox Developmental Center. He designed and manufactured electronic affordable assisted technology devices for the Fox Center Residents. Additionally, he held international and statewide seminars teaching those how to build affordable devices for other developmentally disabled individuals. As an appreciation of the work he performed, he was awarded the National “Hero Award”.

In 1994, he married his second wife Laura and welcomed her daughters Wendy and Dee to the family.

Hobbies such as painting, working on his water garden, hosting Route 66 tours and volunteering for the Dwight Historical Society kept him busy.

He is preceded in death by his parents Marintha and Donald Meckley and sister Joan Meckley. He is survived by brothers Donald, Timothy, and RobinMeckley. He also leaves behind his wife Laura, sons Theodore, Stephen, and Hans, as well as daughters Marintha Short, Wendy Dodson, Dee Ridenhour. Eleven grandchildren and many nieces and nephews will miss him dearly.

Special Thanks to Dr. Tuchek at St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet as well as Dr. Jeevanandam and the LVAD team and staff at University of Chicago Medical Center for their interventions and the extra moments we got to share with Patrick.

Memorial Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday 11/14 at Dwight United Methodist Church with a reception following at Dwight United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to VITAS HealthCare / Hospice or a Hospice program of your choice. There will be no graveside service or visitation as body/organs were donated to science for research and transplantation. Call 859-421-6226