Philip Meiman, of Fairfield, who championed social justice and peace issues long before it became fashionable, died on his 77th birthday, May 16, at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Meiman taught biology in the Fairfield school system for 32 years, winning the Jaycees Teacher of the Year Award in 1983. For 18 years, he was co-leader of one of the longest-running alternative outdoor education programs in the U.S., Whole Earth Learning, at Roger Ludlowe High School.
Born in Covington, Ky., Meiman grew up in New Orleans and Chicago as one of four children. He served in the U.S. Army Intelligence from 1955-58, earned a bachelor's degree at Loyola University and a master's from Fairfield University. He did post-graduate studies at Southern Connecticut State and Dartmouth.
Meiman served on the Conservation Commission from 1997-2007 (chair 2005-07) and was a member of he Mill River Wetlands Committee. Like the Lorax, Phil spoke for the trees, and inspired many others to value and care for the Earth and its gifts.
Meiman met his wife, Kathryn, while teaching in Texas and they settled in Fairfield to raise their family.
In addition to his spouse, he is survived by his children and their families: Mary Kay and David Kenney, and their sons Philip and Sam, of Jacksonville, Fla.; Anne and Tim Hughes of Sharon, Susan Meiman of Andover, Meg and George Layton, and their children, George and Kathryn, of Nokesville, Va.; and Betsy and Richard Parker of Milford. Other survivors include his brothers, Joe and George, his sister, Rosemary, and an abundance of nieces, nephews and extended family and students, who affectionately remember "Uncle Phil."
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Saturday, May 22, at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, 834 Brookside Drive, Fairfield. A Celebration of Life reception/refreshments will follow the Mass. Interment will be private. Friends may call Friday from 4-8 p.m. in the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations to support additional research toward a cure for Multiple Myeloma be made in Phil Meiman's name to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Go to www.tinyurl.com/PhilMeiman or MMRF at 383 Main Ave., 5th Floor, Norwalk, Conn., 06851.
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