October 25, 1950 – April 7, 2024
Jean Laura Meyer, Dr. Jean as she was affectionately known by many, passed to be with Jesus in the loving presence of her husband and friends at her home in Ridgefield, WA on April 7, 2024, at the age of 73. She is survived by her husband, Tom Meyer, their two children, Travis Meyer and Kristi Wubben (Kevin) and three grandchildren, Lydia, Audrey and Frederick Wubben.
Born October 25, 1950, in Belleville, IL, Jean was the cherished daughter of Eugene and Helen Edwards. As an only child she spent her formative years in many places as her father was a warrant officer in the Air Force. She lived around the world spending her early elementary years in Germany and finishing high school in Tampa, Florida, with stops in between in San Antonio, Libya, Kansas, Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia. Upon graduation from Leto High School in 1968, she was stationed with her parents in England to enjoy a year of study there before transferring to finish her undergraduate studies at the University of Hawaii. She moved to Pullman, WA upon being accepted into the School of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. In 1978 she graduated Cum Laude with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree to pursue her dream of a career in veterinary medicine.
During veterinary school she met the love of her life, Tom Meyer, and he met the love of his life and the two classmates were married on July 21, 1979. After enjoying their honeymoon in the Canadian Rockies, Drs. Jean and Tom pursued their desire to provide exceptional veterinary care to their community and founded Mountain View Veterinary Hospital in Vancouver, WA. Her pursuit of knowledge and excellence in veterinary medicine was evident in her ability to connect with both her clients and patients. She advanced the human-animal bond by pioneering and overseeing efforts to allow cats to reside in the Vancouver VA hospital thus helping human patients be comforted by the animal bond. Dr. Jean, as she was referred to by her clients, lived this deep passion for veterinary medicine thus developing cherished lifelong friendships with many clients.
Professionally, Jean and Tom were involved in organized veterinary medicine throughout their careers and enjoyed developing many friends and memories at numerous annual state and national veterinary meetings. They were able to travel together nationally and internationally representing veterinary medicine during the years Dr. Tom served as an officer for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). She was a cherished member of the WSVMA and AVMA family.
She had a deep love for the Lord which was evident in all she did and whoever she interacted with. Jean and Tom were active in the First Church of God/Vancouver. They enjoyed a mission trip to Cuba and were both baptized in the Jordon River during their trip to the Holy Lands by Pastor Gerald Marvel who also married them.
Jean was a devoted mom, “nana”, wife, and veterinarian touching the lives of many with her infectious gracious smile. She was a constant support and always encouraging her son Travis and daughter Kristi in all aspects of their lives. She could always be found in attendance at their high school and college extracurricular activities, (GO COUGS). Ice cream time with her grandkids was a frequent jovial event. She reveled in adventure and travelling. Always up for being a good sport, whether white water rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, camping in the wilds of BC, a horseback trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the many skiing and golfing outings, she was always enthusiastically engaged.
Jean lived her life with beautiful grace, courage, and tenacity. Her kind and gentle character left a lasting impression on those who had the pleasure of knowing her. Her faithful joyful approach to life is so evident in the picture above which was taken in October 2023 at one of her favorite beaches during her last trip to Hawaii. Although wheelchair bound the last few months and battling advanced dementia, she never lost her inner and outer beauty as she maintained her zeal for life.