There is a large fleur-de-lis made of concrete in front of a veterans memorial as well as a plaque dedicated to William Bruce Meithof, a local Boy Scout troop leader for over 20 years and city manager of Coquille before he passed away of a heart attack on Oct. 30, 1999.
Memorial services for Coquille resident William "Bruce" Meithof will be held today (Nov. 3) at 1 p.m. at the Coquille Community Building. The Rev. Dr. Robert Swinea of Faith Lutheran Church will officiate.
Mr. Meinhof, 52, was born July 25, 1947 in Salem. He died Oct. 30 of an apparent heart attack while hunting out of Myrtle Point.
Meithof graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in architecture and attended Southwestern Oregon Community College with continuing education.
He married Diana Chapman in Salem in 1968 and then served four years in the U.S. Air Force as a site development specialist. He work for the City of Shreveport, La. as a municipal planner until moving to Oregon in 1976.
Mr. Meithof was employed by the Coos County Planning Dept. as assistant planning director. In 1987 he was hired by the City of Coos Bay as community development director and later served as interim city manager, building official and fire marshal. He left his position as community services director in 1998 to become city manager of Coquille.
He served as a Boy Scout leader for more than 20 years and was involved in the National Boy Scout Jamborees. He received the Silver Beaver Award and was an Order of Arrow Vigil member. He also had been awarded the District Award of Merit.
Mr. Meithof was also recognized for his involvement as a member of Jaycee's as Outstanding JC for the State of Oregon, a National Top Ten Outstanding JC, recipient of the National Brownfield Award, and a JCI senator. He was a member of Coquille Valley Elks, Rotary and Chamber of Commerce and active in the 4-H. He has served on the board of directors for Community Action and the American Heart Institute.
Mr. Meithof was a hunter's safety instructor, an avid outdoorsman, and loved to hunt and golf. He was a craftsman and artist and will be remembered for his keen sense of humor.
He is survived by his wife, Diana Meithof, Coquille; a son, Brian Meithof, Coquille,; a daughter and son-in-law, Cristal and Brent Boyd, Salem; his mother and step-father, Jean and Bud Shaw, Salem; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Rolland and Carolyn Meithof, Bend; and Steve and Karen Meithof, Woodburn; a sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Bill Weathers, Salem; a mother-in-law, Nedra Chapman, Jefferson; a brother-in-law and his wife, Jerry and Carolyn Chapman, Soldotna, Alaska; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, William Harvey Meithof.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bruce Meithof Memorial Fund (for future projects) c/o Myrtle Grove Funeral Service, PO Box 37, Coquille, OR 97423.
Arrangements are through Myrtle Grove Funeral Service.