Passed on Saturday, 12 March 2016
The Rev. Dr. Peter Hunt Meek, who served the Hancock United Church of Christ in Lexington for 27 years, died unexpectedly on March 12, 2016 in Cambridge. He was 72.
Dr. Meek was born in Bangor, Maine, and grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Amherst College in 1965, having developed a particular love for the writings of TS Eliot. He graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Union Seminary in 1968, and was awarded a Doctor of Ministry in 1984 from Hartford Seminary.
Dr. Meek married Barbara Ann (Bonnie) Beach Meek in 1969, and their daughter, Amy, was born in 1979 and adopted by the couple that year.
Dr. Meek served churches in Woodbridge and Berlin, Connecticut, before beginning at Hancock Church in 1980. He served there until 2007, and then spent two years at interim minister at The Dover Church before retiring from active ministry.
"Peter served as Senior Minister of Hancock United Church of Christ in classical style: faithful in the congregation, dedicated to the town, and a loyal friend to many. He was well loved and will be missed," said The Rev. Paul Shupe, who succeeded Meek at Hancock Church.
While in Lexington, Dr. Meek began portraying Dr. Jonas Clarke (minister of First Parish in Lexington at the time of the Revolution) at re-enactments and other events. He joined the Lexington Minute Men in 1998, becoming Chaplain to the company. William Poole, Past Captain Commanding of the Lexington Minute Men said that Meek’s portrayal of the Rev. Clarke came with "such authenticity that following his sermons, spectators would break into spontaneous applause. His ability to craft an Eighteenth-century speech was truly wonderful, and no one who stood listening to him could remain unmoved by the spirit with which his sermons were delivered, nor the beauty of the language with which they were crafted."
Dr. Meek spent many summers in Kennebunkport, Maine, and he vacationed and served as conference chair at the United Church of Christ conferences at Star Island, a conference center located off Portsmouth, NH. He was a member of Old South Church in Boston, and served on the board of the City Mission Society.
Dr. Meek leaves his daughter, Amy Esther Beach Meek of Lexington and sister, Sheila Hunt Meek of Kennebunk, ME; his wife predeceased him in 2014. Family and friends gathered to honor and remember Dr. Meek on Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Hancock United Church of Christ, 1912 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington. Gifts in his memory may be made to: Lexington Minute Man Company, Inc. P.O. Box 1775 Lexington, MA 02420-0005, Hancock United Church of Christ Memorial Fund, 1912 Massachusetts Ave. Lexington, MA 02421, or Dana Farber Cancer Clinic, 450 Brookline Avenue Boston, MA 02215.
Read his full obituary and leave a tribute at the Concord Funeral Home website.