Velma Jean Lynch was born Dec 11, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, where her parents and two siblings had moved from the family home in Clinton, Tennessee, for better job opportunities. In the Depression, they returned to Tennessee to be close to family. As most people in the hills of East Tennessee, the family was poor, and her father worked any odd job he could find until some stability arrived with employment by Bush Canning Co. In high school, Velma had a job sitting with an elderly lady who had a library of books that she was able to borrow, resulting in a real love for reading and education. Velma graduated from Clinton HS in 1942 and left home at 17 for a 3-year nursing program at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, which she later described as being like a convent! After obtaining her RN degree, she and a friend moved to Little Rock to work; in 1946 Velma fell in love with a senior medical student, Bill Meredith. The next year they married just in time to move to Norfolk VA for his internship and later the birth of their first child, Linda. Over the next five years, they moved around the country several times for his medical training and a stint in the Air Force. By the time Bill finished training as a general surgeon in Birmingham, they had been blessed with three more children. The family settled in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where Bill would practice for 35 years. Jean (as Bill always called her) was heavily involved in First United Methodist Church, as well as all aspects of school and community life, including scouting and sports. She learned to play a little golf, but kept up her interest in nursing by volunteering with the Red Cross and helping establish the first community crisis hot line, through the church. As their children attended U of Arkansas, they became avid Razorback fans and combined that with a love of RV travel, crossing the USA several times, with their German Shepherds, Josh, and later, Luke.

In 2000, Bill and Jean left their life and friends in Arkansas and moved to Pascagoula to be close to family. They joined First United Methodist Church, and later, after Katrina, joined our Eastlawn family. Jean took up golf again and found a new interest in walking on the beach with her new friend, Cathy Groff, and playing bridge at Eastlawn, with the bridge group Dad helped establish (she did not play poker with his poker group!) This is also when, after many years as dog people, they became attached to a little kitten named Maxine that came to them through Linda, when everyone was evacuating after Katrina.


Ms Jean is preceded in death by her husband Dr Bill Meredith, Sr; her parents, Charles Alexander Lynch and Cora Miller Lynch; a sister Vivian Kitchens; a brother, Glenn Lynch and his wife Midge; and her two fur babies, Maxine and Peaches. She is survived by her children, Linda Wiggins (Dr Chris); Dr Bill Meredith, Jr (Kelly); Becky Grigsby; and Susie Gaston (Dr Bob). She is also survived by grandchildren Brice Wiggins (Heather); Meredith Wiggins; Lindsay Wiggins; Lisa Meredith Lamb; Shandra Chapman (Clint); Wade Meredith (Melynda); Jaxon Meredith (Codi); Rebecca Lee (Jared); Mary Susan Formby (Stetson); Rhydon Grigsby; Zach Gaston (Liz); Jordan Gaston (Jeris); and Emily Eversull (Dr. Jason). Jean is also survived by 20 great grandchildren, with another on the way!
Mama Jean was the matriarch of our family, as recognized by all who attended her 100th birthday party in Pascagoula in December 2025! She will be greatly missed by all.

Services for Jean will be held at Eastlawn United Methodist Church in Pascagoula, Ms on Saturday, February 21, 2026 visitation starting at 1:30 p.m. and services starting 2:30 p.m. Burial will follow at Machpelah Cemetery in Pascagoula, MS.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Eastlawn United Methodist Church Memorial Garden or EUMC Learning Center.