Public Comes to Family’s Rescue

Terri Meek’s modest Christmas tree, gilded with gold tinsel and a smattering of mismatched ornaments, stood Tuesday in her one-bedroom apartment without presents beneath it.

All that is expected to change after an outpouring of community help gushed forward to assist the family after her husband was lost at sea just days before the holiday.

Authorities believe Timothy Meek, a veteran dory fisherman, drowned after his boat capsized off Newport Beach early Sunday when winds were fierce and temperatures frigid. Despite the tragic turn of events, the public’s generous response will help make Christmas special for her two sons, ages 2 and 16, Terri Meek said.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said the 38-year-old Costa Mesa woman. “I feel very blessed.”

She was uncertain, though, about how much the family could accept or in what form. The life of a fisherman is a hard one, and even with her husband alive, the family has been receiving public assistance.

The gift offerings included a toddler’s bike with training wheels attached, donated by a Huntington Beach bicycle shop owner. A Newport Beach woman phoned friends and collected at least $2,000 to donate to the Meeks. And a Santa Monica woman whose brother also died while fishing wanted to find the family to help comfort them.

A savings account opened by a concerned Newport Beach man generated at least 100 offers and inquiries from residents wanting to help the family. Officials at the Union Bank of California’s Bayside branch also agreed to collect presents and have them delivered to the Meeks.

“The community response has been wonderful,” said Sandra Rabus, the bank’s vice president manager. “Because we’re located near the water, and with so many boating people as our customers, I think it kind of hit home in this area.”

One woman tracked down the Meeks at their apartment and brought them dinner. A local charity stopped by to bring boxes of food and gifts for the children. And Marilee Schneider’s church youth group will donate proceeds from their raffle ticket sales to the Meek family.

“Their story just really pierced my heart,” said Schneider of Newport Beach.

A county social service administrator said Meek should go ahead and accept gifts, such as food and household items, which would not affect her public assistance. But monetary donations could mean she’ll receive less food stamps and other assistance, said Angelo Doti, director of the Family Self-Sufficiency, a division of the welfare office.

“I’m not advocating that she refuse to accept anything,” Doti said. “But it will have a slight impact.”

Meanwhile, Terri Meek is making Christmas plans with her family and bracing for the prospect of arranging a funeral for her husband.

“Tim’s probably not alive,” she said, seated on a tattered sofa. “But sometimes I think he’ll pop through the door one night and say he’s pulled another stunt on me. He’s survived everything in his life. He’s like Morris the Cat with nine lives.”

Flipping through a yellowing family photo album, she spoke lovingly of her husband who was a proud dory fisherman for 11 years. Afflicted with epilepsy and other health problems, “Timmy” Meek, as many knew him, was a tireless and aggressive fisherman. One of his most prized catches was 1,000 pounds of yellowtail in the summer of 1997.

“It was like seeing bricks of gold,” Terri Meek said, pointing to a shot of the heap of yellowtail.

Even in rough waters, Timothy Meek managed to cast a long line to bring in mackerel and squid, his wife said. One time, a towering wave crested over his boat but he steered his way through the wave’s hollow center.

The couple met 18 years ago while working at the dory fish market based at the Newport Beach Pier. But as Timothy Meek’s health declined, their marriage became strained. When their second child arrived, the family’s finances became so difficult that they sought public assistance. In the past year, the two had separated and each struggled to put food on the table.

Over Thanksgiving Day, Timothy Meek promised his wife he would shower his sons with Christmas gifts. He even shopped and placed some items on layaway, including a bike for his son Thomas, who turns 3 in January. But he was short on money to buy his older son the exact wetsuit the teen was eyeing.

So, the 33-year-old man and a friend braved the waters early Sunday to catch some fish to sell. But the choppy waves rocked the boat, causing Timothy Meek to accidentally kick out the vessel’s cork plug, his companion Russell Jensen recounted.

The boat quickly filled with water and nosedived into the ocean. Using a gas can as a flotation device, Jensen managed to swim safely to another boat. . But Timothy Meek was not found after rescuers returned to his boat to search for him.

A devout Christian, Terri Meek said her husband’s disappearance is painful but she believes there is a reason for everything.

“I feel a tremendous emptiness right now,” she said softly, fighting back tears. “But everything happens for a purpose.”