Mary Kay Meek dies at 80

Businesswoman and civic leader Mary Kay Meek has died. She was 80.

Meek died July 31 "following a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease," according to her obituary posted to Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home Inc.'s website. 

Her career included serving as president of Trymeek Corp., the real estate division of Meek's Building Centers, and as Meek's community relations director, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. Springfield-based American Construction Source was formed by private equity companies in 2018 to buy Meek's, and ACS was acquired by US LBM in 2021. 

Meek was active civically in organizations such as Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc., for which she formed the first donor-advised fund in 1990 with husband Terry, according to past reporting. She served as president or chair of myriad organizations, including CFO, Junior League of Springfield, Missouri Inc., the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Springfield Catholic Schools and United Way of the Ozarks. 

Meek's obituary points to "her tireless service and trailblazing leadership" and notes that "she met every role in life – wife, mother, grandmother, friend, volunteer, leader – with dignity, humility and heart."

Meek was awarded multiple lifetime achievement honors for her work in the business and nonprofit sectors. She received the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Springfieldian Award in 1992, SBJ’s Lifetime Achievement in Business honor in 2001 and Junior League's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

Meek remained humble in her work despite numerous accolades, according to her SBJ Lifetime Achievement in Business profile. 

"I've been recognized far more than I deserve," Meek said in 2001. "People point to this and that, but the truth is my successes have come through the hard work and efforts of many people."