Former Post editor, CPR host was tough, fair, tenderhearted
Former Denver Post editor and Colorado Public Radio host Dan Meyers took on many challenges during a long career in journalism and in public relations.
But he never lost his sense of curiosity, compassion or humor, even as he fought an eight-year battle with colon cancer. Meyers died Monday morning at home in Philadelphia. He was 65.
Meyers developed a repu- tation as a prolific and tough city hall reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He moved to Colorado as the Inquirer’s bureau chief and joined The Post in 1995, where he edited business, political and investigative news for a decade.
“He was one of the best editors that I worked with at the Denver Post. He asked smart questions and was able to work with our words really well,” said Mark Couch, who replaced Meyers as director of communications at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Meyers also had a reputation for fairness. In 1997, he served as jury foreman in the trial of Peter Schmitz, a German painter accused of driving a speeding BMW that rear ended another vehicle at 110 mph, killing Rocky Mountain News columnist Greg Lopez.
The jury concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to prove it was Schmitz who was driving and not Boettcher heir Spicer Breeden, who committed suicide after the crash.
Meyers carried the gruff demeanor of a hardened editor and he would bellow out “Not acceptable!” when unhappy with a reporter’s work, said Michelle Fulcher, who worked with him at both The Post and CPR.
When push came to shove, reporters said he had their backs. He was known for his sense of humor, which would break out in a loud laugh, and for his compassion toward anyone in a tough spot.
Meyers left The Post in 2005 to work as a producer and second host of “Colorado Matters” on CPR, where he applied both his gravelly voice and investigative skills. Among his innovations was a monthly interview with the governor that continues still.
Meyer’s life took a dramatic turn in 2008 when he sought treatment for a shoulder injury, only to discover he had colon cancer.
In November 2009, he took a job as communications director at the CU School of Medicine in Aurora, and three years later he became spokesman for the Anschutz Medical campus.
While at CU, Meyers handled a flood of calls from around the globe after the Aurora Theater shooting in 2012. The shooter, James Holmes, was a student at the Anschutz campus, and many of his victims were treated at University Hospital.
He moved back to Philadelphia last year.
Meyers is survived by his son, Jackson Lee Meyers of Denver, and his former wife, Sondra Lee of California.
Longtime friend Adam Carmel said Meyers, ever social, wanted to bring his wide circle of friends together one last time. Plans are underway for a gathering in Denver to celebrate his life.