Mort Meiers was born on March 16, 1935, in Avon, South Dakota. After moving to Southern California with his family, he attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering. After working in the engineering field for several years, he returned to USC to earn his MBA, allowing him to pursue his dream of teaching.
Mort taught business at the University of the Redlands for several years before joining the Business Department at Lake Tahoe Community College in 1979, when he moved his family to South Lake Tahoe. He greatly enjoyed his tenure at LTCC and remained an active faculty member for 20 years. Additionally, Mort was involved with the Small Business Association, helping many local entrepreneurs establish successful businesses on the South Shore.
Mort loved the Lake Tahoe lifestyle, skiing in the winter and sailing in the summer. He taught both of his children to ski at a young age; Jim learned in the San Bernardino Mountains, while CJ learned at Sierra-at-Tahoe, where Mort volunteered as a National Ski Patroller for many years.
As a college professor, Mort had the freedom to travel with his family during the summers and to live and explore various parts of the world during his sabbaticals. His favorite adventures often involved sailing. Over the years, his involvement with the Windjammers and the Coast Guard Auxiliary allowed him to spend considerable time on the water. In the early 2000s, Mort soloed his 27-foot sailboat, the Blue Moon, from Long Beach to Hawaii. After sailing around the Hawaiian Islands for a couple of years, he shipped his boat to Seattle, and he and Carolyn set sail for Alaska. For the next five years, they spent one month each year sailing the Alaskan waters with friends and family.
After those adventures, he decided to upgrade to a larger vessel, purchasing his dream boat, a 44-foot Hardin Ketch he named the Carolyn Kay. Mort and Carolyn explored just about every area in the Sea of Cortez, often inviting friends along for their excursions. Mort was larger than life to those who knew and loved him. He rarely sat still, and his adventures and stories became legendary, always including friends and family.
Mort passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 15, 2025. He was preceded in death by his mother, Winifred; his father, Albert; and his first wife, Bonnie. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his son, Jim Meiers; his daughter, CJ Meiers; his sister, Mary Bayliss; his stepchildren, Michelle Fullerton (Robert) and Steve Nagy (Lisa); and his step-grandchildren, Tyler Daniels, Cameron Daniels (Brooke), Victor, and Jaeger.
Mort’s funeral service will be held at Hope Lutheran Church, where he had been an active member since 1979, on November 1, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A celebration of life will follow at Lake Tahoe Golf Course from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The family requests that, instead of sending flowers, donations be made to either Hope Lutheran Church or Lake Tahoe Community College’s Basic Needs Center.