Obituary

Detroit priest, a civil-rights champion, dies at 86

by Joel Kurth

DETROIT, February 8, 2021 — The Rev. James L. Meyer of Detroit, a Catholic priest, lawyer and social justice activist who spent decades ministering to chronically ill children, died Feb. 1, 2021, after a short illness. He was 86.

The founder and president of the Chalfonte Foundation, which provides “spiritual, recreational, financial and educational support” to youths and their families in need, the Rev. Meyer was well-known throughout Michigan for aiding those with cystic fibrosis and other illnesses, as well as his civil-rights advocacy.

He spent 29 years as chaplain of Children’s Hospital of Michigan (Detroit) and Hutzel Hospital, ministering to thousands of families facing serious or terminal illnesses.

“I don’t know of any chaplain in the (Detroit) diocese who was ever more committed or more on the job than Jim Meyer,” said retired Bishop Thomas Gumbleton.

“He was deeply involved and did the very hard work of constantly giving himself in a very compassionate way to so many families. You have to be very generous to do that, and Jim was outstanding. He was always there for people.”

A champion of the underdog, the Rev. Meyer — known as Jimeyer — founded the Chalfonte House in Elk Rapids, Michigan, to serve as a sanctuary for those facing health and other challenges.

The retreat hosted camps that provided generations with getaways in northern Michigan. Known as Chalfonte Kids, those who attended the weekend camps along the Grand Traverse Bay remembered them as life-changing.

“He taught us to face our fears, see the beauty in everything and that we can grieve with grace … even when it seems impossible,” Emily Lieptag, a Georgia restaurant owner, wrote on Facebook.

“I am who I am because of (the Rev.) Meyer and because of the community that was built around him. I will forever be grateful.”

When he founded the Chalfonte Foundation, the life expectancy for those with cystic fibrosis was about 20 — and conventional treatments required segregation for those with the condition to avoid cross-infection.

That meant many youths with cystic fibrosis never met others with the condition. A proud rebel, the Rev. Meyer bucked orthodoxies with Chalfonte House, creating networks of friends who outlived life expectancies.

“The lessons we learned, the trips we took, the bonds we made … they were all because of one man (and) it still plays a huge role in my life 15 years later,” said Mahcaiyah Wearing-Gooden.

“While Jimeyer taught us much, he never taught us how to live in a world without him. But I’m trusting that as Chalfonte Kids, we can hold each other up in ways (he) taught us to ensure his legacy continues for years to come.”

A Detroit native, the Rev. Meyer was a fierce advocate for the city. A supporter of the arts, he served as a longtime board member of the Contemporary Arts Institute of Detroit and exposed youths and families to the arts at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Hilberry Theatre, where he was a decadeslong subscriber.

Long after his official capacity ended at the Detroit Medical Center, he would walk from his apartment in Midtown to minister to those in the hospital.

“He always stayed until dark, giving counsel, spiritual guidance, friendship and, almost always, playing backgammon,” said Jon Renaud, a longtime friend.

Writing on Facebook, Renaud recalled how the Rev. Meyer “enlisted me to conspire to a MacGyver a dial-up internet rig for a hospitalized boy who wanted to chat online with his friends.” Told by hospital workers it was impossible, the Rev. Meyer did what he did best: work around the system to get it done, which Renaud wrote involved a “100-foot phone cable, ceiling access and commandeering of the nurses’ station desk phone.”

The son of the late Matthias and Alice Meyer, the Rev. Meyer grew up in Detroit, graduated from Sacred Heart Seminary High School and College and St. John’s Seminary. He also earned master’s from Georgetown University and law degree in 1973 from The Detroit College of Law.

Ordained as a priest in 1960, the Rev. Meyer served at Sacred Heart Church in Dearborn and St. Benedict in Waterford. A former officiant, Andrew Angel, remembered he performed Mass with “reverence, efficiency and good humor.”

“He had an amazing way of treating young people with respect and helping each of us grow in our own way,” Angel wrote on Facebook.

Jim is survived by his sister Mary Meyer Neff. He is the brother of the late Sr. Jean Meyer, IHM and Robert L. Meyer.