John Rea Myer

Written by. Peter Myer My old man passed away yesterday. He wouldn’t mind me calling him that - he always referred to himself that way. He died because he had a stroke and a simultaneous heart attack on Father’s Day. My brothers and I performed CPR until Emergency Services arrived. After admittance and transfer to the ICU it was clear that the stroke had done irreparable damage. John Rea Myer lived from October 16, 1945 to June 26, 2020. He was 74 years old. I don’t usually post very much but due to coronavirus we are unable to have a funeral service where I could speak a eulogy and I owe it to my dad and to myself to say something about his life. Here are some of the things he would want to be known. He was born in Dodge City, Kansas and always wanted to get out of the small-town life. He did so by attending Carleton College (Class of 1967) and then Michigan Law School (Class of 1969). He moved to Atlanta in 1970 and lived here until his passing in 2020. Professionally, he was an exceptionally gifted lawyer who practiced independently for his entire career. As a civil-rights lawyer, he always fought for those who needed a voice and among many impressive credentials he worked for Atlanta Legal Aid and won a civil-rights case in the United States Supreme Court in 1978 (read about it here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/439/32) (Listen to oral arguments here: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1978/77-120). Otherwise, he knew everything: from how to fix bikes to painting to knowing the small details about the novels of Dostoevsky. His favorite authors were Fyodor Dostoevsky and Henry James. His favorite musicians were Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Willie Nelson. His favorite pianist was Horace Silver. His favorite impressionist painters were Alfred Sisley and Edgar Degas. I can’t think of a single other person who loved the Atlanta Braves more than he did. He never had the patience to watch long movies. Cumberland Island was his favorite place to camp. Personally, here are some things that I will always remember. Dad took me to my first concert. It was Buddy Guy and Little Richard. I was 12 and Buddy was so drunk he couldn’t even play. Dad also got me front row seats to BB King. Dad got me into bird watching. I don’t know the exact number but he probably saw roughly 700 birds in his life - an incredible feat - and got more people interested in birding than I can count, something he’s always been proud of. Dad first and finally, was an intellectual. The only reason I care about reading is because of Dad and Mom. He cared about politics. He was more well-read than anyone I have ever met, and I never beat him at scrabble. He was the smartest person I have ever known. I remember talking to him for hours in college about my essays. I always wanted them to be good - not just average - and that required thought and discussion and dad was always there to talk about that stuff. He was an older dad by far and he had a small temper but he was always the most sweet and kind father and all of my brothers would agree. He helped me with the pinewood derby and taught me how to drive stick shift. I’m devastated because he’s not here to talk to me but I’m not sad he’s gone because he was suffering. You would have to know me to know how much my dad meant to be me but also right up until his death, he was not in good shape. He was in pain and he had no spark and he was dealing with complications that accompany the inevitability of aging and death. So we never wanted him to suffer. I don’t want him to be in pain. Bounds of research and studies confirm that smoking is horrible for your health, but the last thing he did was sit outside and smoke a cigar, a habit he loved so much. I don’t pretend to be in a position to preach to anyone, but I merely have an observation - 95% of things you think matter don’t matter at all…. go talk to your significant other or your brother or sister or sweet mom or dad. That’s what matters. Most importantly, my sweet, sweet dad I want you to know that you’re loved terminally. If there is any single person for whom I aspire to be like, it is you dad. You are everything to me. I miss you Dad. I love you Dad. You have my love always, Dad. Love always, Peter When things are said and done We hope everything has been said and done But if it’s not It’s okay We still think about you We still remember you The sleep in your voice Everything that you did We still remember So just rest easy We love you We know you’re taking it with ease God we love you God rest easy God I love you John Rea Myer, a passionate lawyer and devoted husband and father, October 16, 1945 - June 26, 2020, died Friday at Piedmont Hospital. The cause of death was complications from a stroke. John was born in Wichita, Kansas, the eldest of four children of Mary_Elizabeth Reynolds and_Leo Donald Myer. He graduated from Carleton College and received his J.D. from the University of Michigan in 1970. Following his law school graduation, John moved to Atlanta where he began fighting for the rights of the down-trodden and oppressed. John was the consummate lawyer’s lawyer. He first worked at Emory Community Legal Services before joining the leading civil rights firm in the city, Moore, Alexander & Rindskoph. There he honed the advocacy skills that would be his trademark. In a career highlighted by landmark decisions, his most significant victory was before the United States Supreme Court in 1978 in Dougherty County v. White, a case that confirmed the deep and expansive reach of the pre-clearance requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He was a committed believer in the rights of women and minorities and steered litigation challenging discriminatory employment practices, including the precedent-setting case of Keeler v. Hills that attacked disparate treatment in promotions in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. He frequently consulted with lawyers around the country who were working on similar cases. His legal writing was prosaic, brilliant, and persuasive as evidenced by his successes before both trial and appellate courts. John loved local politics and spear-headed some notable and successful campaigns in the 1970’s, including Todd Evans’s run for the Georgia State Senate and Mary Davis’s run for the Atlanta City Council. His love of politics also led to his representation of intown neighborhood groups in their historic litigation against the construction of a proposed highway that would have destroyed what are now the thriving Morningside, Virginia-Highland, and Inman Park neighborhoods. He challenged the sufficiency of the environmental impact statement for the MARTA system before, ironically, serving on the MARTA Board of Directors for five years. He particularly enjoyed his time working in the City of Atlanta Department of Law. There, he served as the First Assistant City Attorney and appreciated the challenge of advising and representing a complex and complicated city, along with its Mayor and his good friend, Maynard Jackson. He found one of his greatest challenges as a lawyer in fighting the imposition of death sentences. His years-long battle on behalf of two inmate convicted of crimes exemplified the best of the legal profession in representing unpopular causes and people. John, however, was far more than a lawyer. To those friends who knew him best, he was a dry wit, a confidant, a source of encouragement, a lovable curmudgeon, and a true and loyal supporter. John was a lover of music—his sons provided Willie Nelson and Dylan for his last hospital stay, and a voracious reader of Henry James. His friends recollect raucous political discussions around big dinner tables that extended long into the evening. John was a dedicated father to his four sons and a loving and generous husband to his wife, Debby McCarty. He raised his sons to believe in the value of a good education, the importance of kindness and a commitment to others, and an appreciation for the natural world. To that end, his three older sons each completed the strenuous requirements to become Eagle Scouts and his youngest son is following in their footsteps. His oldest son, Jack, has completed a Masters in Geology and is a Geologist in Nashville and number two son, Peter, is headed to Emory Medical School next month. His third son, Benjamin, recently graduated from Wofford College and is currently enrolled in a Masters program at UGA, and his youngest, Patrick, is a student at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. John was the proudest of fathers about his sons’ accomplishments. John, together with his wife, Deborah Ownby McCarty, thrived on travel and particularly enjoyed traveling as a family. They took extraordinary cruises to Scandinavia and throughout the Mediterranean and spent time living in a small town on the coast of Spain. John particularly enjoyed their family trip to NW Ireland where they spent weeks exploring the surroundings. In later life, some of his favorite times were on his pontoon boat on Lake Oconee engaging in bird watching and astronomy, among his lifelong interests and enjoyments. John is survived by his wife of 29 years, Deborah Ownby McCarty, and his four sons, Jack, Peter, Benjamin, and Patrick. He is also survived by his sister, Katie Myer Lukens, brothers Jeff Myer (and Pat Cavey) and Joel (& Cheryl) Myer, and brother-and sister-in-law John Ownby, Jr. and Gina Lord Ownby, as well as niece Cyndra Whiddon(& family) and nephews Chris Myer, and Daniel Myer. Because of the COVID-19 virus, the family will hold a small memorial and hopes for a celebration of Life at a future date. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in John’s memory to the ACLU of Georgia – John Myer Memorial Fund. Additional info at tributes.com/johnrmyer