Johnson County supervisor Larry Meyers dies of cancer

Johnson County Supervisor Larry Meyers died Tuesday afternoon.

Meyers, of Solon, had cancer. He was 58.

Meyers was in his first term on the board.

“He was just a wonderful guy,” Supervisor Rod Sullivan said. “He was amazingly positive and friendly and very intellectually curious.”

Meyers was elected in 2006 on a wave of support for his opposition to a controversial road-widening project proposed for Newport Road north of Iowa City. Meyers later cast the deciding vote in scrapping that project.

In the months after the election, Meyers began losing weight and his hair. His illness was not a secret, but it was not something he talked about at board meetings.  He rarely missed a meeting.

Meyers was not at the board meeting last Thursday, but he called afterward to ask about the discussion of flood-damaged Sutliff Bridge, board Chairman Terrence Neuzil said. Meyers was the board's point man on the project.

“Up until the last few days here, Larry Meyers was Larry Meyers,” Neuzil said. “He was just this genuinely nice guy.”

Meyers was admitted to Mercy Iowa City last Thursday and went to hospice. When the doctor asked him what his goals were, Meyers said he needed to get better because he has work to do, said his brother, Neil Meyers of Dyersville.

“He was a fighter,” Neil said. “He was always for the right instead of the wrong.”

Meyers was in line to serve as chairman of the Board of Supervisors next year. Also next year, his seat was up for re-election. He had not publicly announced whether he would run again, although his brother said Meyers spoke a month ago of running for re-election.

There are three options for filling Meyers' seat, Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said. A committee made up of the county auditor, recorder and treasurer can appoint someone within 40 days, there could be a special election or a petition could be filed requiring a special election.

Meyers was owner of a remodeling firm, Meyers Contracting, and sat on the board of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.

He is survived by his adult son, Jordan, and three brothers and a sister, Neil Meyers said.

Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Brosh Chapel in Solon. A private family inurnment will held at a later date.