Obituary: Leonard Meyer, 91
Leonard Arthur Meyer, born in Atlanta on Feb. 18, 1925, passed Saturday afternoon, Oct. 8, 2016, at age 91.
He was predeceased by his mother and father, Ray Levinsohn and David N. Meyer, who moved to Atlanta in 1920 from Baltimore; his brother and sister-in-law, Sylvan H. and Anne Meyer of Gainesville, Ga., and Miami; and daughter-in-law Sherrie Dee Miller Meyer of Stateline, Nev. His beloved wife of 70 years, Janet Eleanor Meyer, passed one year ago at age 90.
He is survived by his three sons, Robert Scott Meyer of Stateline, Dr. Roger P. Meyer (Cathy Meyer) of Carson City, Nev., and Richard C. Meyer (Donna E. Meyer) of Alpharetta; four grandchildren, Dr. Seth E. Meyer (Shinobu Meyer) of San Diego, Hilary Meyer Pine (Kris Pine) of Vancouver, Wash., Annie M. Meyer of Asheville, N.C., and Max D. Meyer of Alpharetta; two great-grandchildren, Ben Pine of Vancouver and Remy Meyer of San Diego; and a niece, Erica Rauzin, and a nephew, David N. Meyer II, both of Miami.
Lennie graduated from Boys’ High in Atlanta in 1942, then entered college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a member of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity while attending UNC. He was drafted in 1943 to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces and served in New Guinea and the Philippines until the war in the Pacific ended. He was awarded five Battle Stars and the World War II Victory Medal.
He graduated from Atlanta Law School in 1948 but never practiced, instead entering the family wholesale wine and spirits business, State Wholesalers Inc., with his father. He became the president of State Wholesalers in 1966 and the chairman of the board in 1976 upon the retirement of his father. He served twice as the president of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia and many years on its board of directors. He also served for many years on the board of directors of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. In 1988, State Wholesalers merged with Empire Distributors, and Lennie served there as executive vice president until retiring in 2008.
Lennie Meyer pioneered the fine wine business in Georgia, traveling to Europe in the early ’60s to begin importing the great wines of France, Germany, Italy and Spain. He was also one of the first to start distributing the boutique wines of California in Georgia. He was a member of Knights of the Vine, Les Amis du Vin, and other wine societies of Europe and America. In 1984 he was selected by Time magazine as the Distinguished Alcohol Beverage Wholesaler of the Year at the annual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America convention.
Community involvement included his memberships in B’nai B’rith, Jewish War Veterans, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, the Marcus Jewish Community Center, the Standard Club and the board of directors of the William Breman Jewish Home. He also served on the board at Ahavath Achim Synagogue for many years. He rarely missed a performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and was an accomplished pianist himself. Lennie loved the outdoors. He was an avid golfer and fly and bass fisherman and a devoted supporter of wildlife conservation organizations.
Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his name to one’s favorite charity. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
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