Norbert A. Meyer, age 101 and longtime area teacher and principal, died peacefully in his home on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
Funeral services will be held at 11am on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Iowa City. A time of visitation will begin at 9am and church services at 11am. Following mass, a time of continued fellowship and lunch will be held at the church, concluding with burial at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his memory to St. Patrick Catholic Church; Iowa City Hospice; or the Albert N. and Mary Meyer Scholarship Fund, c/o Conception Abbey Development Office, P.O. Box 501, Conception, MO 64433-9988. To share a thought, memory, or condolence with Norb’s family, please visit the Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website, www.gayandciha.com.
Dad was born March 16, 1925, in Clyde, Missouri, the youngest of 11 kids. As a child, he grew up working the family farm, doing anything from riding his pony to deliver water to workers in the field to milking the family cow. His caring spirit, thoughtfulness, and willingness to go above and beyond for those he cared about started at a young age and remained steady throughout his life.
After graduating high school in Spring 1943, Dad helped with the Fall harvest and then enlisted in the WWII Army Air Forces. Following the war he attended college, where he met Mom (Lois Inscho). They married after graduation in 1948 and eventually had ten kids – five boys and five girls. This led to 16 grandkids, 19 great-grands, and 1 great-great-grand. He and Mom were one month shy of their 65th wedding anniversary when Mom passed in 2013.
In his professional career, Dad was an innovative educator. Initially, he taught science and math and coached student sports. He coached the Missouri-based Jefferson High School boys' basketball team to the state tournament for the first time in the school's history – a huge deal within the community, rendering him a Conception Junction hero. He and Mom eventually settled in the Iowa City Community School District, where he served for more than 30 years. During that time he moved from teacher to principal, first at Central Junior High in Iowa City, then Northwest Junior High in Coralville. Among his professional achievements, Dad was known for instituting Shop Class for girls and Home Ec for boys at Central and received the national 1984-85 Excellence in Education Award for his work at Northwest. Students still approached Dad with “Mr. Meyer? Do you remember me…?”
Dad was the epitome of what it means to be a life-long learner. He not only accepted but embraced life’s fast-paced changes and instilled such a mindset in those closest to him.
Dad retired in 1988, but continued to explore and achieve. As an avid golfer, he made his first hole-in-one in 2009, at the age of 84, and his second in 2011. He continuously learned and welcomed the changing world of technology, broadening his world and furthering his efforts to stay connected to his wide-spread family. He earned the family trophy for his award-winning chili and remains our reigning Yahtzee champion, having rolled three Yahtzees within a single game to reach the unbeatable score of 535. At the age of 99, he resumed his beloved pipe-smoking – to hell with the health consequences. At the tender age of 100, in his ever-robust spirit of curiosity, he decided to grow his first beard, making for an incredible Santa this past year.
Dad’s faith was central to his life; for nearly 70 years, he was an active member of St. Patrick Church. Over the years, he took on many roles, such as singing in the choir and serving as eucharistic minister and reader. When no longer able to attend in person, the St. Patrick community came to him. We are very grateful to Father Troy, the volunteers with Helping Hands, and the members of the Youth Group.
Dad was loving and caring in every aspect of his life – toward his family and friends and throughout his work. He even had his own language of love. For instance, whenever someone was leaving his home he’d tell them: Watch out for the deer. Translation: Be careful, I love you.
So...Watch out for the deer, Dad. We love you so much.