Obituary of Lloyd Robert Meehan

Lloyd Robert Meehan passed away at the Sussex Health Centre surrounded by his family on August 21st, 2024.  He was born on November 29th, 1958 to the late Marjorie (Cunningham) and Robert Meehan.  He is survived by his wife, Carmen (Payne), his son, Shaun and Kate Meehan, his daughters, Cory and Mike Kennedy, Sarah Meehan and Jared Monahan, Catherine Meehan and Tris Larivière.  His six precious grandchildren, Rory and Maeve Meehan, Kieran and Norah Monahan, Isla and Will Kennedy.  His sisters Carole Patrick, Judy and Gerry Nickerson, and Eileen and Donnie Elder and his mother-in-law Shirley Teakles.  In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Kate Hodgin, his brothers-in-law Ron Patrick and Clifford Hodgin, and his father-in-law Junior Teakles.

Where does one begin to describe Lloyd? He was so full of life, laughter and comic relief. We always knew he was a very good friend to many people and that became even more evident after his ATV accident on June 16th, 1999 which left him a paraplegic. He joked that the line up at the hospital to get in to see him felt like a “wake” except he was alive to meet and greet everyone. Many of these visitors were his friends from PCS where he worked as an Operator in the mill.

Lloyd was always happiest when in nature. He loved hunting, fishing and simply walking in the woods.  He did a lot of trout and salmon fishing over the years.  He’d be at the river at day break ready to cast at first light. Those fresh barbequed salmon steaks were delicious. Shaun took up salmon fishing and often went to the Miramichi. He always shared every detail of these trips with his Dad.

Lloyd loved listening to and making music. With two of his life-long friends from Sussex Corner Elementary, Mike and Joe, they became ‘Strings ‘n Wheels’ after his accident and they often played at local benefits.  They practiced in our garage and occasionally had guest appearances:  Bradley, another SCES alumni, on banjo, Brett on stand-up bass, and Landon, our neighbor, on guitar.  Lloyd always wanted a Martin.  For his birthday one year we bought him a Martin guitar case, no guitar.  We all had a good laugh but we did put one in the case as his Christmas present the next month. He considered guitar collecting a hobby – he had 10, that we know of. 

He decided to try his hand at carpentry after his accident.  He started with a lawn chair and he painted it purple, which surprised us all, and it was a two-man job carrying that chair to the pool. When Cory was planning her wedding, she asked him to build her some decorative tables which are now staple pieces in her home. He also built his version of a bike stand, a volleyball stand, and a towel rack for the pool. Becoming more confident in his skills, he told Sarah and Catherine that their braces were a waste of money as he could have rigged something up for them. 

The history channel war documentaries, especially those that involved planes, were his favourite. He loved anything related to aviation. Lloyd spent hours on Flight Simulator, went to the Halifax airshows, and it was guaranteed that if any of us were flying anywhere, he was tracking the flights in real time.

After the accident, going for long drives, exploring the backroads was a go-to pass time for Lloyd. He explored much of NB and took many beautiful pictures with photography being another one of his passions.   Right after Sarah and Jared bought their house on the old Norton road, she was surprised to get a text from her father with a picture of their place.  He was up on the highway across the river and he took the picture from there. He took his vehicles to many off-road locations, all to get that perfect shot. 

Lloyd’s Irish heritage was always celebrated.  In 1993, he took his Dad, then 80 years old, back to Ireland to revisit the Meehan childhood home, an important part of their history. The Meehan family emigrated to Canada, landing in Halifax, Pier 21, and then settling in what became their homestead in Hammondvale, NB.  Lloyd’s grandmother Meehan had the Irish red hair and Lloyd was thrilled when Catherine inherited it. 

His greatest joy was his family.  He was so proud of Cory, Shaun, Sarah and Catherine.  He knew  Kate was a keeper and immediately welcomed her into our family and Lloyd loved talking with Mike, Jared, and Tris. He had to know all about their jobs and any other interesting news. He was “Grampy with the wheels” to his grandchildren and they could always make him smile.  On September 6th we would have celebrated 38 years of marriage.  There were many challenges over the years but we also made so many incredible memories in our Jeffries Corner home, at our camp in the old settlement once known as New Ireland, in Albert County, travelling in our green camper bus, and going for drives over the hill in our dune buggy.  

While we have many memories, we would love to hear more.  If you have a favourite, you can email us at carmenmeehan23@gmail.com or write a note and drop it off at Wallace Funeral Home. 

Arrangements have been entrusted to Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex, NB from where visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. A Celebration of Lloyd's  Life will be held from The Encounter Church on Thursday, August 29th at 3 pm.

If you are considering making a donation, the family recommends Extra Mural – Sussex or the Sussex Health Centre Foundation. And finally, a very heart-felt thank you to nurses Jackie, Patricia, Virginia and Melody from Extra Mural.