Forrest James “Butch” Meachen

Jan. 26, 1948 - April 19, 2019 Resident of San Jose, CA

Butch Meachen finally crossed home plate, after a long battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), on Good Friday morning.

He was born in Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York, to James Henry Meachen and Isabelle Maude Meachen. He grew up an avid New York Yankees fan, and remained devoted to his team up until his last inning. His fondest memories growing up were of spending time with his maternal Grandfather. He joined the United States Navy at 17, in 1965, and at eighteen was sent to Vietnam where he worked on minesweeping riverboats. Butch was always proud to have served his country, and he had many funny stories about his time as a sailor. He worked for many years at Oak Tree Mazda in San Jose, selling cars and eventually becoming finance manager, until health issues forced him to retire.

In addition to his love for Yankees Baseball, Butch enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trips with his wife, Corvus and the family dog in their RV. He also loved to go to Arizona or Florida to watch spring training. When Butch became unable to travel out of state, they often took trips to Oroville or to Pismo Beach. He loved people, and helped them when he could. He spent over forty years as a friend of Bill W., helping dozens of young men turn their lives around. Butch is survived by his wife Corvus Cynthia Meachen; his prides, his two sons Matthew Forrest Meachen and Ryan James Meachen, his ex-wife, Sue Starr, and his faithful dog, Yogi. His spirit, generosity, and hilarious sense of humor will be sorely missed. Go Yankees! In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ALS Association.