Edward Russell Meekins Jr. (June 29, 1949 – September 13, 2020) was an American politician who served four terms as a Democratic member of the

Alaska House of Representatives The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people pe ...

from 1973 to 1974 and from 1977 to 1982. He went to

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

, and Anchorage Community College majoring in economics, history, and political science. He also earned a MPA from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. Meekins worked for Alaska Water Refining Company and was the vice-president of the company. His father Russ Meekins Sr. and sister

Susan Sullivan Susan Sullivan (born 1942) is an American actress known for her roles as Lenore Curtin Delaney on the NBC daytime soap opera '' Another World'' (1971–76), as Lois Adams on the ABC sitcom ''It's a Living'' (1980–81), as Maggie Gioberti Chan ...

also served in that body. Meekins died at his home in

Sandwich, Massachusetts Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States and is the oldest town on Cape Cod. The town motto is ''Post tot Naufracia Portus'', "after so many shipwrecks, a haven". The population was 20,259 at the 2020 census. Histor ...

. He was the father of figure skater

Drew Meekins Drew Meekins (born April 10, 1985) is an American retired pairs skater, coach, and choreographer. With former partner Julia Vlassov, he is the 2006 World Junior Champion. Skating career Meekins and Vlassov won the 2006 World Junior Champions ...

and rapper Cam Meekins.'Olympic Notebook: Former Seawolf already earns Olympic metal. Now he wants a metal,' Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), Beth Bragg, February 20, 2018

References

1949 births 2020 deaths Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives Politicians from Anchorage, Alaska Businesspeople from Anchorage, Alaska People from Sandwich, Massachusetts Politicians from Barnstable County, Massachusetts Oregon State University alumni University of Oregon alumni University of Alaska Anchorage alumni Harvard Kennedy School alumni 20th-century members of the Alaska Legislature {{Alaska-politician-stub