Arthur Lee Meeks
- ARTHUR LEE MEEKS was 91 yrs. old, born in Dugger, Indiana, on June 24, 1932. He passed away at his home and went to be with His Lord on May 4, 2024. Art and his mother, Ruby, and father, Earl, and sister, Carol, moved to Arizona in January of 1947, from Dugger, Indiana. The summer of 1948, when he was 16, Art and his family returned to Indiana to visit relatives. On the return trip to Phoenix, Art became very ill in Oklahoma, where they learned he had contracted infantile paralysis at a swimming hole. He was treated at St. Mary’s in Phoenix with daily hot packs, using the Sister Kenny method of treating polio, and was in Crippled Children’s Hospital in Phoenix until the fall of 1948. He was declared 4-F and never served in the military. Art attended Phoenix Union High School for three years and finished at (newly opened) West Phoenix High School in 1951. He went on to Phoenix College where he earned a 2-yr AA degree. He pursued his education and earned his BA degree in Mathematics in 1968 and his MS degree in Industrial Engineering in 1974. His education was all obtained by attending night school, while holding down a full-time job. He retired as Staff Engineer at Bull HN in 1992 where he had been employed over 25 years. His prior work history included Sperry Rand, Palmer’s Manufacturing Evaporative Coolers, Reynolds Aluminum and the City of Phoenix. Art and Barbara Wahlstrom met in 1950 and were married November, 1953, and divorced in 1962, having only one child, Vicki Lee, born in 1958. Art struggled with alcohol addiction until 1967 when he found A.A. God must have brought them back together because in June of 1968 Art and Barbara were remarried and were still married until “death do us part”. Art and Barb served as co-directors of New Wine Ministry, a 12-step recovery group based on the 12 steps of A.A., until they resigned in 2014. They began doing missionary work, which took them on many trips to Honduras and Mexico and where they are still active in financial support. Art and Barb began a seniors’ ministry, 70’s and Beyond, in 2015 at their church, Covenant of Grace, and which continues to this day. Art is survived by his wife, Barbara, his daughter Vicki Woods (Scott), his granddaughter Kirstin Trueblood (Tom); two great-grandchildren, Chloe and Caleb Trueblood; his sister, Carol Powell (Wayne); niece Sharon McManus (Gary) and nephew Eric Powell (Debi). A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Covenant of Grace Christian Fellowship, 906 W Peoria, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. Please visit hansenmortuary.com to leave condolences.