Dr. Kenneth "Ken" R. Meyer

Dr. Kenneth R. Meyer passed away on Monday, July 27, 2026. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1937. He grew up in Madeira where his family owned and operated The George Meyer Company, a successful hardware and building supplies business. As a boy, Ken enjoyed riding horses and building radios. A high school Geometry teacher inspired Ken to take an interest in Mathematics. He graduated from Cincinnati Country Day School in 1955 and enrolled at Cornell University where he studied Engineering Physics and served as president of his fraternity. After graduating from Cornell in 1960, he pursued a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Cincinnati, earning his degree in 1964. He taught at Brown University and the University of Minnesota before returning to Cincinnati in 1972, where he joined the faculty in the Math department at the University of Cincinnati, serving until his retirement in 2003. During his long career, he taught and mentored many students and conducted a vast amount of research. He published many papers in the areas of Differential Equations, Celestial Mechanics, Hamiltonian Systems, and the N-Body problem. He founded and edited academic journals, and wrote textbooks in his field. He co-founded the annual Midwest Dynamical Systems Conference, which still operates today. He earned the respect and admiration of colleagues throughout the world. Ken leaves behind a legacy of academic excellence and the pursuit of scientific truth.

Throughout his life, Ken enjoyed many interests and hobbies, including bird watching, wine making, bee keeping, photography, canoeing, disco dancing, and fishing. He loved to cook, especially making goetta, sausages, pies, and jams. His career enabled him to travel to Europe and South America many times, where he shared great adventures with his traveling companion and dear wife of more than 40 years, Carolyn. He loved being with his family and the company of his grandchildren.

Ken Meyer was a dedicated and beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his parents Oscar and Charlotte and his brother, Richard. He is survived by his wife Carolyn and six sons: Tom Mack (Kathleen), Joe Mack (Heidi), Dan Mack, Jerry Mack (Kim), Jon Mack (Jenny), and Karl Meyer (Jennifer); five grandchildren: Nicole Mack, Jacob Mack, Alex Mack, Maximilian Meyer, and Charlotte Meyer; a nephew Ched Meyer, a niece Amy Meyer, and a cousin Babette Meyer.

Please join us at the T. P. White and Sons Funeral Home, 2050 Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati on Friday, August 7th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm for a celebration of Ken’s life. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society.