Obituary of Katharine Lansing Meyer

Katharine Cleveland Lansing Meyer (?Kaye?) Kaye Meyer, age 87, formerly of Chappaqua, NY, Fripp Island, SC, and Matthews, NC, and a recent resident at Atria MerryWood, Charlotte, passed away peacefully at the Levine & Dickson Hospice House on Thursday, May 24, 2012. Born in Santa Rita, New Mexico on March 2, 1925, she grew up in Albuquerque, NM and British Columbia, Canada, the daughter of the late Ernest Coxe Lansing and Edith Eckstrom Lansing. Kaye is predeceased by her beloved husband of 61 years, Stefan Alan Meyer, and is survived by three daughters and their families who love her so: Laura Meyer Wellman and her husband Ward of Charlotte, and their children Alex and Edie; Tracy Meyer and her husband Dale Smith, residing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Alexandra Meyer Sternstein and her husband Ed of Atlanta, and their children Kate and Scott. Her career background was varied and unusual for women of her era: Trained as an aeronautical engineer in studies at Purdue and doing a brief stint with a Boeing predecessor company in Tulsa, she ultimately moved into hotel management, working at the La Fonda hotel in Santa Fe; The Roosevelt in New York and Horizons in Bermuda. A former model, she was considered remarkable for her fashion sense and style; equally impressive, however, was her common sense and the ability to fix almost anything. Later, a move to retail management found her in positions with Whigg?s, a boutique women?s clothier in Briarcliff Manor, NY, and at the golf pro shop on Dataw Island, SC. Everywhere, she gained a following of friends and people who found her warmth, grace and engaging demeanor both comforting and welcoming. She met her husband in Bermuda in 1949 while they were both working at resorts on the island. Stellar tennis players, as well as great dancers, they became engaged there and married the following year at St. Stephen?s Church in Port Washington, NY. They began their family of three girls there, ultimately moving to Chappaqua, NY, where she was active in the American Field Service, among other volunteer commitments. As a wife and mother, her commitment to family was deep and constant, with an unerring sense of values and a strong sense of pride and love. She launched her ?three girls? into the world, acknowledging both their individual differences and their common bonds. She supported their personal and professional choices, providing guidance and reinforcement along the way. Hers was the quintessential ?roots and wings? mindset, from which her grandchildren, who referred to her fondly as ?Nama," benefited as well. Proud of her Dutch and Swedish heritage, Kaye loved exploring and living in New York City in the late 1940s. She reveled in trips abroad and back to her roots in the southwestern United States. Physically active all her life, she retained a wicked left-handed crosscourt forehand well into her 70s. Her beautifully handwritten recipes (whether for beef bourguignon or cheese soufflé) are coveted by all who have enjoyed their result ? and her homemade biscuits might have some believing her to have been raised in the South. Above all, she leaves a legacy of caring for others and a sense of elegance, dignity and style that live on with those who love her. The family and close friends will gather for a celebration of her life at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, at the chapel at Hankins & Whittington Funeral Service, 1111 East Boulevard. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Habitat for Humanity, 3815 Latrobe Drive, Charlotte, NC 28211, Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region, 1420 East 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204, or any nonprofit of choice.