Rev. Monsignor Gilbert R. Meyer

TURLOCK, Calif. — The Reverend Monsignor Gilbert R. Meyer passed away Nov. 5, 2020 in Turlock, California at the age of 105. He was born to Roman A. Meyer and Helen A. Studer in Monroeville, Ohio on Oct. 4, 1915, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. At the age of six, the tragic loss of his dear mother propelled him and his two siblings onto a lifelong journey of faith and the hope of joining her in heaven at the end of their lives. At the age of 13, Gilbert answered the call to a priestly vocation. He studied at Pontifical College Josephinum seminary in Worthington, Ohio, where he was ordained on May 30, 1942. He and two of his closest friends, Monsignors Pointec and Elminger, were assigned to the Monterey–Fresno Diocese in central California. Here, Monsignor Meyer spent his life devoted in service to the Lord, even ministering to German prisoners during World War II since he was fluent in eight languages! An Olympic–style ice skater, Monsignor loved skating on the lakes in the High Sierras. His outrageous sense of humor and charisma drew people in to his parishes and churches. In December 1971, he was named an "Honorary Prelate to His Holiness," thus giving him the title of Monsignor. He retired at the foot of Olancha Peak, where Crystal Geyser water is bottled, and continued his ministry by substituting priests, as needed, all over the eastern and western Sierras and western Nevada. He spent the last part of his life in New Bethany, a beautiful Catholic assisted-living facility in Los Banos California. Unfortunately, COVID-19 caught up with him and he passed away in a hospital in Turlock, California. His extraordinary inspiration lives on in the hearts of the many lives he touched. The family requests that any donations be sent to: New Bethany, 1441 Berkeley Drive, Los Banos, CA 93635. Please write on check: "in memory of Monsignor Gilbert Meyer." Thank you and God bless you!