James Edward Meyer

Noted Charlotte architect James Edward Meyer lost his long battle with cancer on July 5 ^th , 2019.  He was 71 years of age.  Born in Kingsport, Tennessee, on June 16, 1948, he was the son of Lester William Arend Meyer and Cleo Ilene Meyer.  Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Martha Meyer of Atlanta, Georgia; and his brother, Robert Meyer of Nashville, Tennessee.  He is survived by his partner of many years, Hal Via; children, Michael Hovis and Sayre Meyer, both of Asheville; niece, Molly Upchurch of Nashville; nephew, Will Meyer of New York; and numerous great-nieces and nephews.

Jim knew from the fourth grade he wanted to be an architect, and pursued that dream, graduating from the School of Design at North Carolina State University in 1971.  That year he came to Charlotte and began his career with J.N. Pease Associates.  In 1979 he co-founded the firm now known as Meyer Greeson Paullin Benson. During his lengthy career, Jim designed numerous houses and buildings, a number of which received awards for design excellence by the North Carolina Chapter and the South Atlantic Region Council of the American Institute of Architects.  Many were featured in publications on Architecture and Interior Design.  Additionally, Jim received an Historic Preservation award for the work completed on his home in Myers Park, Charlotte.  Jim truly loved his profession as attested to by the fact that his clients became his friends, and his friends became his clients.

A man of many interests, Jim enjoyed playing golf, gardening, and travel, especially his yearly trips to St. Croix.  And, an avid collector of nineteenth century English porcelain with a keen eye for quality, he was always happy to share the best of his collection with the general public through loans to the Mint Museum. When time permitted, Jim could be found at his mountain house, surrounded by friends, loved ones, and his two devoted Cocker Spaniels, Nancy and Polly.

There will be a Memorial Service at Myers Park United Methodist Church at 11 AM on Saturday July 20th.  The family invites those attending to a reception at the church following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's memory to any of the following organizations, or to a charity of the donor's choice.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation,  The Watergate Office Bldg., 2600 Virginia Avenue, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20037

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont, NC  28012

Mountain Valley Hospice, 461 N. South Street, Suite #1, Mount Airy, NC  27030