GLENDALE, ARIZ. – Longtime resident of Vancouver, Portland,and the Long Beach Peninsula, Billy I. Meyer died Oct. 19, 2004, in Glendale, Ariz., following heart surgery.

The third son of Irvin and Margarethe Meyer, he was born Jan. 21, 1932, and raised in Ridgefield along with brothers Ben and Bernard “Corky.” He attended Ridgefield schools and served in the Air Force.

Known in retirement as a sports fisherman, gamesman, and conversationalist, Mr. Meyer was a pioneer in the application of computers to business. In the ’50s he worked for a subsidiary of IBM, then later became an executive at several Oregon companies including Multnomah Data Processing, NW Data Processing, and Travcom, and was president of NW Data Systems and United Data Processing. He often spoke of his appreciation for the friends and associates who partnered with him in these endeavors.

He was a proud father to four children: David Meyer, Evonna Westlund, Dianna Trapp and Steve Meyer, and had six grandchildren.

Passionate about sportfishing, he was an expert at catching salmon and sturgeon. His motto was, “I fish, therefore I am.” While his fishing exploits took him from Alaska to Mexico, “home” was, and always will be, at the mouth of the Columbia River. He also enjoyed spending time in sunnier climates with his special companion Mandy Miljus.

Family, friends, and associates of Bill Meyer are invited to an open house on Sunday, Nov. 7, beginning at 2 p.m., at Chautauqua Lodge, Long Beach to share memories, photographs and fish tales. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you go fishing with your loved ones.