Thomas M. Meyer and his sister Beth McFerron in 2017 at their firm, Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co. in Cape Girardeau.
Southeast Missourian file
Effectively-respected chief within the native actual property group and Vietnam veteran Thomas M. Meyer died June 25 at his house on the age of 73.
Mates, colleagues and relations spoke of him as each a frontrunner and mentor.
Meyer was a lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau since his beginning in 1949.
Graduating from Southeast Missouri State College with a level in enterprise administration, Meyer joined his father within the household enterprise at Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co.
Thomas M. Meyer
Meyer touched many lives in Cape Girardeau. Fellow Realtor Tim Meredith attended a visitation for Meyer final week and famous the massive quantity of people that got here to pay their respects.
“I stood in line for a great hour and quarter-hour earlier than I made it to the entrance,” he stated. “I first met Tom after I was a child, and after I purchased the Century 21 workplace, the primary telephone name I acquired was from Tom. He stated I might name him for something. And this was from a competitor. However that simply wasn’t Tom’s means. He did not view individuals as rivals.”
Meyer was engaged with and dedicated to many group associations in Cape Girardeau. He had served as president of Night Optimist Membership, president of Habitat for Humanity, and was additionally a longtime member of the Southeast Missouri Realtors Affiliation.
Affiliation govt Terry Baker spoke of Meyer with respect and appreciation.
“He was only a good particular person. He was a one-of-a-kind man. A person of integrity,” Baker famous, including, “He did the work and introduced others to the desk. He believed within the Realtors Affiliation’s mission of defending property rights and the business as a complete.”
“Tom was all the time considering of others,” Meredith stated. “He’d all the time be asking how we are able to do it higher, how we could be extra skilled. Adequate was by no means ok.”
Meyer served within the Navy in the course of the Vietnam warfare as a Seabee, rising to the rank of commander on the island of Diego Garcia in the midst of the Indian Ocean.
“He went into service proper out of highschool,” stated Beth McFerron, his youthful sister. “He was very patriotic.”
After leaving the service and all through his life, Meyer sought to assist veterans, working with the native VFW, and he was board member of Missouri Veterans Residence.
“He was such a champion for veterans.” Baker stated.
Household man
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Meyer was the oldest boy in a household of seven. McFerron stated she and her siblings, even his two older sisters, regarded as much as Meyer as a giant brother.
“Tom was all the time there if we would have liked something.” McFerron stated. “Assist us be taught to throw a baseball, water ski, or repair my bicycle.”
It appeared a profession in enterprise was all the time in Meyer’s future.
“He was all the time such just a little businessman,” McFerron stated. “At the same time as a small little one, wearing his church go well with along with his bow tie, all he wanted was an attache case.”
Meyer’s daughter Catherine stated her father was a person of few phrases, however when he did converse, he was filled with humor.
“His teasing, eye-rolling dad jokes,” Catherine stated, “or apparent lies could be instructed with a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous grin.”
She additionally remembered how romantic her father was towards her mom, Mary, saying the toilet mirrors have been completely adorned with post-its that learn “love you,” from “Peaches,” Mary’s nickname for her husband.
A beneficiant man, someday to a fault, Meyer by no means gave with the intention of getting reward or acknowledgment. Catherine Meyer remembered instances her father made preparations for individuals scuffling with lease, offered jobs and constructed homes with Habitat for Humanity.
Dave Soto acquired to know Meyer and his household whereas a pupil in Meyer’s actual property faculty.
“Religion and household have been a excessive precedence to him.” Soto stated. “Tom was the one who satisfied me to get my actual property license. I contemplate him a mentor and an awesome buddy.”
Soto served as a previous president of Southeast Missouri Realtors Affiliation, and when he was requested who ought to set up him he stated, “My first thought was Tom.”
“The Meyer household is sort of like a dynasty in Missouri Realtors,” Soto stated. “All people is aware of concerning the Meyers.”
Chief
When Meyer returned from Vietnam, he instantly acquired his actual property license and went again to varsity to get his diploma in enterprise. He joined his father’s firm in 1972 and finally took it over in 1995.
Meyer additionally served as president of the Missouri Affiliation of Realtors in 1995, working with state legislators to make sure truthful and inexpensive housing and that consumers and sellers had equal entry to the actual property course of. Present president John Mayfield was a pupil at Southeast Missouri State College when he met Meyer.
“I used to dwell proper behind his father’s actual property enterprise,” Mayfield stated. “I’d go it on my technique to faculty and cease and discuss with Tom and his dad.”
Mayfield regarded as much as Meyer who, he stated, introduced a stage of professionalism to the place.
“Tom was a category act,” Mayfield stated, “and took the job and the function very professionally and severely, and revered that place, and Tom taught me I ought to observe those self same ideas and guides.”
Mayfield appreciated that the businessman was beneficiant along with his time and type and gracious to him as a younger actual property skilled.
“The final time I noticed Tom,” Mayfield stated, “was again in October in the course of the dinner for my management orientation. He and his spouse came visiting and we had a really good go to. A variety of previous presidents won’t have taken the time to come back over, however Tom did, and that is simply the way in which Tom was. He was simply so proud that I used to be president as a result of there simply have not been that many from Southeast Missouri.”
McFerron stated Meyer shall be missed.
“Tom Beloved his household, nation and church, all the time able to serve wherever he was wanted. I’ll miss my mentor — my huge brother.”
