Obituary of David Meester

Meester, David Albert, of Florida, NY, was born on May 17, 1922 in Prospect Park, NJ, the son of the late Everett and Henrietta Meester. He completed his earthly journey at Elant in Goshen, NY on September 18, 2009. David accepted Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior while a teenager and spent his life living for and serving the Lord. He graduated from Ramsey High School and went to work for the Erie Railroad in their offices in NYC before going into the US Army during World War II. He went into the Signal Corps where he served as a cryptographer and completed his service as a Staff Sergeant in December, 1945. When he came home he went back to work for the Railroad and became a shore foreman. In 1952 he, his father and brother Jack formed a partnership to build homes mostly in Mahwah, NJ. He continued in the construction business until he went to work for Fleming Revell Publishing Co. where he was the maintenance supervisor. When he retired he drove a school bus for a few years. His Christian service included serving on the church boards of the Madison Avenue Baptist Church, in Paterson, NJ, the Wyckoff Baptist Church and the Fardale Trinity Church in Mahwah, NJ. He taught Sunday School, worked with boys in Christian Service Brigade and served on many other committees in each of the churches. He was a volunteer fireman, chaplain and president of Mahwah Fire Dept., Co. 1. He also served on the Ambulance Corp. He was an avid fisherman and member of the Ocean Grove Fishing Club. He served for a time as Pier Master of the club. David is survived by his beloved wife Rose, (Holzman), of 63 years and their daughter, Rosemary and her husband, Pastor Neil Stetson of Dummerston, VT, son David Rudolph Meester and wife Barbara (Faber), of York, SC. Their daughters, Carole and her husband Rev. Dr. C. Stanley Eby of Greenville, SC, and Joyce and her husband Robert Craig Hamilton of Florida, NY. There are 13 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Jacob. He is survived by his sisters Helene Abbink of Canandaigua, NY, Elizabeth Zabriskie of Schroon Lake, NY, and Jewel Luebke of Newton, NC and and many nieces and nephews. He lived his Christian faith, was greatly loved, and will be missed by all. Visitation will be on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 2pm-5pm at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home (www.vpfh.com), 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ. Interment will be at the George Washington Memorial Park, in Paramus, NJ on Monday, Sept. 21. In lieu of flowers please donate, in David's name, to the Youth Group of the Fardale Trinity Church, 73 Chapel Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430.