John F. Meier

John F. Meier, age 69, passed away March 2, 2017 at Ebeid Hospice in Sylvania. Born September 28, 1947 in Beaver Falls, Pa. to the late Hans and Louise (Mutscheller) Meier, he graduated from Rochester (Pa.) High School in 1965. John went on to earn his bachelors degree at Wittenburg University in Springfield, Oh. where he twice served as president of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and played quarterback for the football team and pitcher for the baseball team. He was awarded his MBA from Bowling Green State University where he had served since 2012 as Executive in Residence, teaching in the MBA program. John was the Commencement Speaker at the BGSU Commencement ceremony in December, 2009 and was named by BGSU as one of their 100 Most Prominent Alumni at the University’s 100 year Centennial Alumni Awards in April, 2010 John had an accomplished 41-year career with Libbey, Inc. and its predecessor company, Owens-Illinois, Inc. from 1970 until his retirement as Chairman and CEO on July 31, 2011. Some of his significant achievements include taking Libbey public on the New York Stock Exchange in June, 1993 and leading Libbey to a commanding number one market share in the U.S. He also built Libbey into a leading international company. John had extensive interaction in Washington, D.C. on international trade matters, most notably concerning NAFTA, WTO and GSP proceedings. He also had varied experiences with regulatory agencies including the FDA and the FTC. In addition to his duties with Libbey Inc., John served on the board of numerous companies and non-profits including: Society Bank, National Houseware Manufacturers Association, The Toledo Hospital, The Toledo Museum of Art, the Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey Trusts, Homeward World Business, The Toledo Zoo, Wittenberg University, Cooper Tire and Rubber Company and Applied Industrial Technologies. He was also Past Chairman of the Greater Toledo Area United Way Campaign. In his free time, John was an avid reader and golfer at Sylvania Country Club, where he was a longtime member. He was also involved with Element 112 restaurant and enjoyed participating in its operation. Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife of 45 years, Ann (Williamson) Meier; children, Lizzie Utt (James) and John Meier (Lauren); and grandchildren, Thomas and Charlie Utt. He was also preceded in death by his brother, William. Visitation will be Sunday from 3-7 p.m. in the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey Rd.). Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Monday March 6, 2017 at the Historic Church of St. Patrick, 130 Avondale Ave., Toledo. Private entombment will take place at Toledo Memorial Park. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Ebeid Hospice for their concerned and compassionate care. Johns family kindly requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Toledo Area Humane Society, 827 Illinois Ave., Maumee, OH 43537 or a charity of the donors choice.