Lasting Memories

Rudiger "Rudi" Meijer
Oct. 12, 1931-Feb. 9, 2016
Rocklin, California

Rudiger C. Meijer, "Rudi", 84, died on Feb. 9, 2016. He was born on Oct. 12, 1931, in Djakarta, Indonesia. After WWII, he moved with his mother and siblings to Enschede, Holland, which he called his hometown. In 1959, he immigrated to the USA.

He worked for 20 years as an auto mechanic and then changed careers to become a travel agent. He worked at Gus Mozart Volkswagen and then Carl R. Carlsen Car Repair, both in Palo Alto, California. He and his wife, Mary, lived in Palo Alto from 1964 to 1999. His daughters, Carolyn and Julia, grew up in Palo Alto and attended PAUSD K-12, both graduating from Palo Alto High School.

He was a lover of all kinds of music, jazz and opera in particular. He was fascinated with and knowledgeable about airplanes, jets and aircraft. But we all remember him first and foremost as a lifelong fan(atic) of soccer: player, coach, referee and spectator. He coached soccer at Wilbur Jr. High School and was a referee for many years in Palo Alto.

His passion for the beautiful game was only surpassed by his love for his friends and family: his wife of 52 years, Mary Louise Lind; his daughter, Julia Marie; his grandsons, William Rudiger and Benjamin James; and his son-in-law, Matt Murphy. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Carolyn Louise and is now reunited with her in Heaven.