Billy Dean Meacham

Billy Dean Meacham, born in Harford City on October 10, 1943, moved to his eternal heavenly home on Friday September 22, 2023.  He was 79 years of age. 

Bill grew up in Hartford and was a 1961 graduate of Hartford City High School where he participated in football, basketball, and track.  Following graduation, he joined the Indiana Army National Guard and served 6 years during the Vietnam War.  He volunteered for active duty training and was stateside during his service.  He remained a patriot and loved his country. 

He was a former power weight lifter and participated in age-based track & field games for several years, traveling once to Calgary Canada where he metaled at the World Police & Fire Games for discus and shot put.  He was compassionate of animals and enjoyed feeding the birds & squirrels.  Bill was also a musician who played drums and bass guitar in working bands dating back to the 50’s & 60’s and enjoyed singing.

In earlier years he worked briefly at the Hartford City Paper Co. and at Overhead Door.  But it was in Dunkirk that he found his calling after applying for the job of patrolman at the Dunkirk Police Department.  Over the course of 32 years he enjoyed patrolling the streets, helping people, and mentoring many of the area’s youth.  He was appointed Chief of Police in the 1980s and retired in 2000 with the rank of Captain.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Sharon K. (Jetmore) Meacham, whom he married on July 2, 1971; son: Chad A. Meacham (wife: Tamara), Albany; sister: Joanna Oxley (husband: John), Hartford City; grandchildren: Misty Hobbs (husband: Hunter), Indianapolis, Lexi Koch (husband: Malachi), New Palestine, and Ross Meacham, Albany; a great-granddaughter who was born in August of this year: Scarlett Evangeline Koch, and several nieces & nephews.  Additional survivors include Robert Reading (wife: Linda), Cullman, AL, their daughters and grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents: Charles & Josephine (Miller) Ridgeway; his father: Alvah Dean Meacham, and sister: Carolyn Pollard.

Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, September 28, 2023 at Dunkirk Church of The Nazarene with Pastor Tom Fett officiating.  Burial will follow at Dunkirk I.O.O.F. Cemetery with military rites by Veterans of Delaware County Honor Guard. 

Visiting hours are Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m. at Dunkirk Church of The Nazarene.

Memorials may be sent to Jay County Humane Society, P.O. Box 101, Portland, IN 47371.

A special thank-you is acknowledged to Dr. Dwayne Adrian for his many years of excellent care and to ProMedica Hospice for making the past couple of weeks comforting and supportive.

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