Howard Meinke’s three children (L-R) Nancy Morrell, Jeffrey Meinke and Janice Dunbar all spoke at a memorial last week. (Credit: Michael White)
I, along with much of Southold, mourn the loss of a good man, my friend Howard Meinke. Howard was more than just a friend. He was a comrade in our shared passion for both the environment and social justice and we often joined forces in the same battles. (more…)
Attendees on the beach during Saturday’s memorial for Howard Meinke at Mattituck Yacht Club. (Credit: Michael White)
Howard Meinke was a lot of things to a lot of people.
To his grandkids, he was Captain Evil.
That was due to his penchant for tossing children off tubes when the family was out motoring in Peconic Bay.
“He took his grandkids tubing behind the boat and he gave them a ride,” said his daughter Nancy Morrell. “He did whatever it took to throw them off, 14 years old or 4 years old … That’s where the name [Captain Evil] came from.” (more…)
Howard Meinke (Credit: Meinke family courtesy)
The voice on the other end of the phone spoke in a deliberate manner, demanding to be heard.
“My understaaaanding is that you are the person I now need to speeeaaaak to regarding letters to the editor,” he said slowly.
It took just that one introductory sentence for me to realize that Howard Meinke would be writing me frequently, as he had my predecessors at Times/Review, and that he would command my attention. (more…)
Missing Howard
I first met Howard Meinke about 80 years ago, when his parents were building a summer place right next door to where my grandfather was building on Nassau Point. Not long ago I gave Howard a picture of the two of us, his cousin Martha Jane and my sister Betty taken where his dad was working on their house. (more…)
Howard Meinke of Laurel, shown in a headshot that appeared with his guest columns in The Suffolk Times, died Thursday night.
A memorial service for Howard Meinke of Laurel will take place Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. at the Mattituck Yacht Club.
Howard Meinke of Laurel, shown in a headshot that appeared with his occasional guest columns in The Suffolk Times and News-Review, died Thursday night.
The North Fork is a better place today thanks to the work of Howard Meinke, fellow environmental advocates and colleagues say.
He was a tenacious champion for the environment and for the quality of life issues affecting his neighbors. He always educated himself on the problems the North Fork faced before backing a solution.
Pine Barrens Society executive director Richard Amper said the North Fork might have become developed like Brookhaven Town had Mr. Meinke not been around.
“The problem with Brookhaven was that they didn’t have Howard Meinke,” Mr. Amper said. “I don’t believe [the North Fork] would be the wonderful place that it is without him. He is the model, the consummate community advocate and I don’t know what we’re going to do without him.” (more…)