Steve Meyer passed away unexpectedly on February 8, 2025, from complications arising following heart surgery.

Born and raised in Stockbridge, WI, on Lake Winnebago’s eastern shore, Steve developed an early appreciation for dark, pristine rural skies. His dad was a high school principal and the elder Mr. Meyer’s belief in equal opportunity for students with disabilities planted the seed for Steve’s lifelong passion for human rights.

Steve’s zeal for social and racial justice deepened when he entered college at UW Stevens Point in the early 1960s where he met Jean. After college, he enrolled in the Peace Corps and was deployed to Ethiopia for two years. Jean later joined him in Africa and the two would marry there before returning to the states to start their life together. Steve and Jean would remain involved in issues of social justice for the next 50+ years.

In Ethiopia, Steve’s passion for astronomy was truly ignited. The unspoiled equatorial skies were breathtaking and he soon found a copy of Patrick Moore’s book Naked Eye Astronomy. Moore’s book would become a lifelong companion, and Steve usually opted for binoculars as his preferred optics.

Back in Madison, Steve’s degree in math and chemistry led him to a career at CUNA Mutual. The computer revolution of the 1960s and 70s demanded skilled individuals to operate, maintain, and repair these machines, and Steve was drawn to the technical aspects of this work. He pursued further education, earning an associate’s degree in electronics. He spent his entire career at CUNA.

Steve’s outdoor orientation was as strong as his quest for human rights. He loved gardening and was an avid cyclist, biking Madison’s streets and bike paths throughout the year. He was also an enthusiastic camper, leading the family on numerous trips to Rock Island, located on the far side of the Door Peninsula’s Washington Island. There, he deepened his knowledge of the night sky. When their daughter Elsa was born in the 1980s, Steve and Jean honored her with the dual middle names of Rose, after Steve’s mother, and Pleiades, one of his favorite binocular asterisms.

Steve joined the Madison Astronomical Society around 2011, most likely coinciding with his retirement from CUNA. During his time in the society, Steve was an active member, attending meetings and participating in star parties and other public events. His warm and friendly nature made him an excellent ambassador for the hobby and he often found joy in sharing his knowledge of the night sky with strangers. Beyond club events, Steve would frequently set up his binoculars or a small telescope at street corners or on walking paths in his Atwood neighborhood, captivating passersby with his insights into the stars and planets.

Just weeks before his death, Steve was active on our email list, inquiring about the occultation of Mars by the Moon in January and wondering if other members would share their photos with him. He tried to observe the event with his binoculars, but Madison’s cloudy winter skies frustrated his attempts.

Steve’s sudden death in February left his friends and family in grief and shock, but they expect to find healing in the sharing of Steve’s life with everyone who knew him. Wife Jean and daughter Elsa are grateful for the community Steve found within MAS.

(Written by John Rummel, April 2025. Photo from Elsa Meyer’s collection.)