Wendy Meyer

Wendy Ann Meyer, age 59 years, formerly of Royal Oak, Michigan finished her race at 8:47 a.m. on Saturday, July 6, 2019 at her home in Niles, Michigan having fought the fight against cancer, and having kept the faith. Her family is grateful to the staffs of Lakeland Cancer Specialists and Caring Circle Hospice at Home for their compassionate and skillful care. In the past few weeks, Wendy received comfort, support, and prayers during visits from the ministers and members of Summit Church, the staff and members of her exercise group at the YMCA, and many neighbors.

She was born on August 22, 1959 in Highland Park, Michigan to Thomas F. and Barbara J. (Adams) Meyer. She was graduated from the former Royal Oak (Michigan) Dondero High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, and a Master of Science degree in Librarianship from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo). She was first employed by General Motors, creating a library for the automotive blueprints at the Technical Center in Warren, Michigan before moving up to the headquarters offices on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. GM sponsored her completion of the Dale Carnegie Course in public relations and effective public speaking.

Feeling called to a vocation of greater spiritual significance, she took a job with the Sisters of Mercy Health Services, but – perhaps as an indication of God’s sense of humor – she was placed in the upper-floor of the offices in Farmington Hills, Michigan that managed finances and investments. Still, she performed in a remarkable manner for which she received the 1991 Catherine McAuley Award in honor of the founder of the order.

After receiving God’s call to full-time ministry, she earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York. The Rev. Wendy Meyer was ordained by the former First Baptist Church of Royal Oak (now Genesis The Church), and was called to the pastorate of Community Baptist Church in Big Bend, Wisconsin. Following the death of her father in 2001, she returned to Royal Oak to care for her mother, and was employed at Walmart in Troy, Michigan, and for many years in the offices of Wright & Filippis, auditing medical insurance billing. She and her mother moved to Niles to be close to family as their health was challenged.

Wendy was a former member of the First Baptist Church of Royal Oak and Kensington Community Church in Troy, Michigan, before joining the Summit Church in Niles. Wherever she went to college or visited, she attended a church every Sunday, and whichever church she was attending, she became quickly active in various small groups, volunteerism, and always caring for children.

She enjoyed music, played the bassoon for many years, and looked forward to churches with big sound systems where she could stand near the speakers and feel the music. She took a mission trip in 2012 to Israel and Palestine, which included serving in a joint camp for Israeli and Palestinian children to come together in Jesus. In 2013 she joined the Hope Water Project to raise money for wells in Kenya. That fund raiser is an annual marathon for which Wendy chose to train and completed three consecutive annual marathons.

Wendy – ever the librarian - kept extensive personal records, with daily calendars going back to 1978, a list of 1,700 blessings, and an inches-thick stack of file cards, color-coded for blessings, experiences, challenges, and other categories. She also left a history list of her life: residences, cars, relationships, schools, even telephone numbers, but that list never mentioned her jobs. Instead, her whole life was clearly devoted to loving God, and loving people.

Cancer invaded Wendy’s life in 2014, with an initial prognosis of only months. She elected a second opinion, surgery, and chemotherapy, giving her good health for eighteen months; then metastases took-over her liver. Two years later she was diagnosed as free of that cancer, only to discover eighteen more months later a large tumor in her brain. God granted her the health necessary to care for her mother, Barbara Meyer, and that task was completed exactly eleven weeks ago with Barbara’s death on April 20, 2019.

Surviving family includes Wendy’s siblings, Jim (& Jeanne) Meyer of Niles and Jeann Sargent of Arlington, Texas; niece, Rachel (& Nick) Limberopoulos and nephews, Adam (& Samantha) Meyer and Aaron (& Rachelle) Meyer and their children Noula, Katriana, Zoe, Brenden, Demetra, Nasia, Thanasi, Ariella, and Michaela.

The funeral service for Wendy Meyer will be at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at the Summit Church, 1700 West River Road in Niles (49120) with Associate Pastor Brad Neese of the church officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday at the church beginning at 5:00 p.m.

On Thursday. July 11, 2019 the family will receive relatives and friends from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Kensington Church, 1825 East Square Lake Road in Troy, Michigan, 48085. Committal Services will be at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday at the graveside in Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak with Chaplain Cathy Beaumont, U.S.Navy, Retired officiating.

Contributions in memory of Wendy may be made to those organizations who share Jesus with others such as: Summit Church, https://summitniles.com/; Kensington Church; https://kensingtonchurch.org/; or Genesis – The Church, 309 North Main Street, Royal Oak, Michigan, 48067 https://www.genesisthechurch.org/giving. Arrangements were made at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Online condolences may be left at: www.halbritterwickens.com