William Keith Meine OBITUARY
William Keith Meine May 25, 1926 – July 14, 2021 Resident of San Ramon, CA On July 14, 2021, William Keith Meine passed away. Long known as a man of service and ingenuity, “Bill” was a formidable force in this world who positively impacted the lives of everyone he knew.
Bill was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Earl Herman Meine and Pearl Ashton Meine. He was the youngest of three children, growing up with an older brother Earl “Bud” and sister Betty. He was a graduate of South High School where he met his eternal sweetheart, and wife of 76 years, LaRue Misty Anderson.
Bill stood up for and protected his country, enlisting in the United States Navy upon graduation from high school and serving in the second World War. During his first leave from the Navy, he returned home to marry his fiancé “Misty” only to be immediately called overseas, separating the two newlyweds for more than a year and a half. He returned to his waiting family and young wife in San Leandro, California, then was recalled into future service for the Korean War, missing the birth of his second child. Bill later retired from the United States Air Force as a Master Sergeant.
To say Bill was a very industrious person would be an understatement. He was easily identified as a jack-of-all-trades and master of all. Among his many successful projects, he completely designed and built an in-ground swimming pool, which was dug by hand, and constructed the entire filtering system. A family home and cabin, and a second-floor addition were all expertly built by his own hand.
In 1963, Bill accepted a transfer from Del Monte® Foods and moved his family from one coast to another, landing in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey. There, he was called to serve as a Branch President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and later also served as Bishop. Along with his normal church duties in New Jersey, he was also given the responsibility to contract and build the Pitman Chapel, which then required a septic tank. His foresight in this project brought joy to the local congregation at the time, but even more excitement more than 40 years later when he informed the bishop of a sewage line he pre-laid, “just in case,” that ultimately saved the Church and its members thousands of dollars in new construction costs.
Bill retired in 1986 after moving back to California in 1973 with Misty and once again immersed himself in service. For nearly 30 years he contributed to the improvement and success of Contra Costa County and San Ramon City. In addition to serving as a San Ramon City Councilman and Parks Commissioner, Bill entered the race for Mayor at age 85, reasoning that he had to do it because there was only one man on the ballot and he refused to live in a country where there was not freedom of choice. He had a sincere love for our country and always said, “May God still bless America to protect its citizens’ freedom to choose.” Bill was a volunteer for the San Ramon Police and Fire Departments, and founded the Chaplain Services programs to offer aid to police officers, firefighters, and their families. He also served as one of only seven Contra Costa County Chaplains for both the fire and police departments. He supported the San Ramon Senior and Community Centers and was a worker and project manager at the San Ramon Public (Royal Vista) Golf Course where he was also a member of the exclusive 1st Tee Men’s Club.
Bill was generous with his time and talents, always lending a hand to serve the communities in which he lived, volunteering in church, and supporting his friends and family. He is survived by his wife Misty and their three children: Shanda Lee Culberson of Queen Creek, Arizona; William Douglas Meine (Angela Cook Meine) of St. George, Utah; and Cameron Kelly Meine (Janell Beck Meine) of Concord, California; along with 10 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Friends and family are invited to a viewing on Friday, July 23, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at OAK PARK HILLS CHAPEL, 3111 N. Main St., in Walnut Creek. Another viewing will take place on Saturday, July 24, from 10:00-10:45 a.m. and funeral services at 11:00 a.m. in the LDS Chapel at 5025 Crow Canyon Rd., in San Ramon. Military burial to follow at 1:30 p.m. at Oakmont Memorial Park, 2099 Reliez Valley Rd. in Lafayette.
Bill’s Library of Congress Veterans History Project story can be viewed online beginning in August of 2021 at www.loc.gov Express condolences at www.oakparkhillschapel.com View the online memorial for William Keith Meine
