TAUNTON – David F. Medas (Meetis) (Medeiros) of Taunton died Sunday evening, Oct. 6, 2013, after a brief illness.
He was the beloved husband of Jacqueline A. (Henshaw) Medas for more than sixty-one years.
He was born in Taunton as David Meetis on Jan. 24, 1930 to the late Frank and Wilhelmina (Menice) Meetis.
Dave was born in a home on Somerset Ave. where he grew up and eventually raised his own family in the same neighborhood.
As a young man, he worked with his father at their family’s paper recycling business and later owned his own car dealership called Meetis Auto Sales on Broadway where he met his wife Jackie selling a car.
He later married Jackie in 1951 and started a family, then joining the U.S. Marine Corps.
He was a fleet mechanic and was assigned in the Caribbean.
Upon his return from the service in 1953, he worked at N.E. Brass and at Tony’s Garage on Somerset Ave.
He eventually quit, joining the Taunton Police Dept. in Feb. 1955.
He spent thirty of his years at the police department as the department’s parking control and meter officer and was known by downtown merchants as “The Meter Man.”
He retired from the TPD in Dec. 1994 in his fortieth year of service.
Dave loved to travel, especially with his family, taking them on yearly camping trips from Maine to Florida between 1965-1980.
After retirement, Dave and Jackie made several winter driving trips to Florida.
They also made driving trips across the country, and enjoyed monthly trips to Atlantic City.
Dave was a local politics enthusiast and neighborhood grassroots organizer for many years, working the Weir Village campaigns of Mayors Parker, Chamberlain, Cleary, Flood, Aleixo, Friedman, Amaral, Johnson, Nunes and Strojny.
He had the first election sound-car in the city and drove around rallying support.
He was also a former member of the Democratic City Committee, and was elected to attend the state’s Democratic Convention in Springfield.
Although he tossed around the idea of making a run for the council, he never took out papers.
In addition to his wife, Dave leaves five children, David B. Medas, Grace Medas-Kaeppel, Linda Henriques, and his twins, Keith and Kevin Medas.
He was also the brother of the late Florence (Meetis) Souza.
He leaves 11 grandchildren, Kimberly Miller, Tiffany Cabral, Erin Medas, Keith Medas, Jr. Scott Medas, Makayla Medas, Michelle Medas, Kevin Medas, Jr. Kyle Medas, Ethan Medas and Justin Lewis.
He was also the grandfather of the late David A. Medas.
He also leaves a great niece, Melissa Florin; a great nephew, Billy Serpa; several great grandchildren; and his trusted best K9 friend, Benny II.
His funeral will be held from the Silva Funeral Home, 80 Broadway, Taunton on Friday, Oct. 11th at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at St. Mary’s Church at 10 a.m.
Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend.
Calling Hours will be held at the funeral home on Thursday, Oct. 10th from 5 to 8 p.m.
www.silvafuneralhome.com.