This is to inform you of the sad news of the passing of Skip Meister
on Saturday, February 15, 2003. Skip was active in Orchid in the
past, and many people received help from him on questions concerning
casting. He was a retired dental lab tech that turned to jewelry as
a hobby. He was the garrulous German from Chicago, who answered your
questions on pitting, waxes, rough casts and neat tools. He suffered
most of his adult life from diabetes. His love that superceded
jewelry was his family, and they are devastated by his death. If he
helped you in the past, will you be so kind to let his family know
that you remember him in a condolence card, so they have fond
memories to carry them through this difficult time? This is the
contact
Mrs. Ed Meister and Family
5517 Linden Ave.
LaGrange, IL 60525
USA
His funeral will be Tuesday, February 18, and arrangements are
through: Hallowell and James Mortuary 1025 W. 55th St. Countryside, IL
60525
Donations can be made in his name to the American Diabetes
Association.
Katherine, Thank you for posting this very sad news. I considered
Skip a friend and knew a bit more about him and the persons he and
his wife are.
The Meister family adopted children with disabilities and nurtured
them through those disabilities into the best life they could
accomplish.
Skip was not rich in wealth, but he was wealthy in heart and soul. I
treasure the e-mails we shared.
Perhaps a Skip Meister CD can be produced from the archives of
Orchid, and individual messages. Proceeds to be divided between
Skip’s family and Orchid.
Skip, rest well you have earned your eternal peace. Teresa
I only met Skip once but spoke to him online numberous times. Years
ago I “met” him when we were both members of an online group that led
me to Orchid called Artmetal. When he realized I was doing a show
near his home he showed up to talk. He watched my booth while I took
a brief break and then presented me with a variety of lovely stones
as a present, just because he said he knew he would never get around
to setting them.
He was a generous and kind man, the sort that deserved the phrase
"the world could use a few more like him" applied to him.
I am so sorry to hear he is gone.
Karen, Northern IL
I want to join all Orchidians in lamenting the death of Skip; my
old email friend. We corresponded for several years, and I enjoyed
his amusing style and sense of humour, his mastership of his craft,
and his generosity. Although I regret that I never met him
personally, I thank him especially when, despite his desperate
illness he acknowledged that his time here was almost up, and took
the trouble to say a proper goodbye to all his Orchid friends.
He was a good bloke. Thank you, Skip.
Cheers for now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua, Nelson NZ
Well said John!! That is what I had been feeling too but couldn’t
put it into words. Skip had generously responded to questions I had
posted in the past. After I read of his death I went to the archives
and read some of his postings. Re: Pros and cons of working at home.
He wrote in 1999, “I have been working from my home for the past 14
or so years.” He mentions his kids then ages 4,6,8, and 10 and being
fair game for all sorts of interuptions. His last paragraph
says,"Expect to take at least 10 hours to do what you used to do in
8 hrs. You know what? I wouldn’t trade watching my kids grow up if I
had been paid triple time x 10 for the extra hours! Regards, Skip"
Annette
Oh now, John… you’ve got me on this post. Thank you, Noel, for
letting us know of the passing of our long-time friend. I’m now
listening to James Taylor singing “I’ve seen Fire and I’ve seen
Rain…” Skip has always been a friend who was well experienced, but
I think he felt himself as an interloper in the midst of us “real”
jewelers. He was a true gem in our midst, and was every bit a peer,
or superior in many ways.
We have all felt his presence and learned from his experience and
wisdom. I have personally benefited from his advice. I have called
upon him for his special experience. Skip will be missed, as he was
in the last couple years.
While I was blown away by his recent good-bye note to Orchid, I
never really imagined he’d be gone so quickly. He was one of the best
of the best people, and we’re all at a loss whether we knew him, or
not. I personally hope I have an opportunity to craft such an
elegant departure from our esteemed community.
Oh yeaah… you’ve got a friend… yes, the James Taylor song has
changed…
Godspeed to you, Skip. We will all miss you every day.
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA) dave@sebaste.com
So many of us are indebted to Skip for his willing help and advice.
Several times he responded off line to one of my queries and he went
into great detail and really helped me understand the process
involved in what I was doing. He was a great and generous man and my
heart goes out to his family. I sent a card to his family as
suggested by several Orchidians, and I hope that our cards will help
his family in some way to cope with their loss. Alma.
Similarly to John Burgess’s comments, I never met Skip but was very
sorry to see such a fine Orchidian pass on. I am sure he will be
missed by us all.
That is one of the amazing things about Orchid…many of us have
never met…and may NEVER meet. But we are all family no matter from
where we originate. Truely an international family. Were it that
others could be as close!!
Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
elegance IS fine jewelry! @coralnut1
I am writing from Florida, where after a great Philly Show, and a
disasterous Baltimore show…trapped like rats in the blizzards with
buyers and exhibitors unable to get there. I am now picking up a car
to drive cross country tomorrow. I’m taking route 40, and calling it
the “tour de barbeque”…loong story.
I just picked up this thread, and I am so saddened. Skip started
writing me several years ago off line. He would send jokes and
comments, and I would send him notes on what I was doing with my
crazy life. He watched me be a dork on “Millionaire”, and “The Today
Show”, and wrote me for weeks laughing about it, and making me laugh
about it too. I ignored his right wing ways while he tolerated my
left leanings. I once even got a lecture on gun control…against of
course…lol…Some months I would get eight e-mails, some months I
would get two, but I would always get something cheerful and upbeat.
Skip told me about his family and his life. He told me about how he
and his wife had adopted several children with challenging
disabilities in addition to raising his own, and fostering many
more. He told me about his long fight with diabetes, and how it had
affected him.
Skip saw life as his own adventure, and was generous enough to let
me in on it once in a while. He always signed his letters to me in
the same silly way:“Skippy”…and that always cracked me up. His
death seems sudden, as he never let on to me how badly things were
going with his health. Skip and I never met in person, or even spoke
on the phone, but I will miss him all the same.