Obituary of Peter M. Meilinger

Molalla, Oregon - Peter M. Meilinger, 53, died on January 31, 2024, after a short illness.  He is survived by his beloved wife and best friend, Melissa.  He is also survived by his mother, Barbara Meilinger, his sister, Gretchen Wendy Noland (Ed), and his brother, Michael Noland (Kimberleigh), his niece, Elizabeth Noland and his nephew, Grayson Noland.  His father, Ronald Meilinger, predeceased him by two weeks.  He had several uncles, Edward Meilinger (Wendy), Richard Meilinger (Paula), Bill Tashjian, and an aunt, Susan (Ron) Brown.  He also was survived by many cousins with whom he grew up.  He was especially close to Rebecca Tedesco, who he considered a sibling.

Pete graduated from Voorheesville High School in 1989. He then went on to obtain a bachelor’s in Psychology from Boston University and a masters degree in Library Science from Simmons College in Boston.  He started working as a librarian in Boston and later at Beaverton City Library in Oregon.  He loved helping people find something that they would enjoy reading. He helped at work through the readers advisory board, and online through several groups and websites.  He was also excited to start a board game club at the library.

Pete was a kind and thoughtful person who also had a great sardonic sense of humor.  Growing up, he may have had the greatest comic book collection in the tri-city area.  He and Melissa considered their dog and two cats their children, they may have been a little spoiled. He enjoyed sharing a weekly meal of pork chops with the animals, and was a connoisseur of cheeseburgers. He loved to research random things – if he didn’t know the answer to a question, he would get right to work finding it. He was selfless to a fault – his greatest worry was that his loved ones were taken care of, before he even thought of taking care of himself.

Peter will be greatly, greatly missed by all who knew him.  He was a truly special human being.

There will be a celebration of life for both Pete and Ron on March 9, 2024 at the Voorheesville Rod and Gun Club at 1 pm.  All who cared for either or both men are invited to attend.

Friends are also invited to visit with Peter’s family from 4 - 7 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024 at the Reilly & Son Funeral Home, Voorheesville.  There will also be a Memorial Service on March 23rd, 1 pm at the First Baptist Church of Oregon City, 819 John Adams St, Oregon City, OR 97045. For those who wish, memorial donations made to the Oregon Humane Society (http://www.oregonhumane.org) would be appreciated.