Area Reverend who was Champion of Less Fortunate and More, Donald David “D.D.” Meighen, Passes

Rev. Meighen was a 1963 graduate of Fairmont Senior and 1967 of Fairmont State. He received his Masters of Divinity at Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio. From 1968-2024 (56 Years) he served 17 churches of four denominations in four counties. He served the Meadowdale Charge (Pisgah, Winfield and Meadowdale UMC), Associate Minister at First United Methodist Fairmont; Vincent Memorial Church in Nutter Fort and Central United Methodist in Fairmont. He also served as campus minister at West Virginia University for both the Presbyterian and United Methodist Church. He served as interim minister at First Presbyterian and on three occasions at Central Christian (Disciples of Christ) in Fairmont. He also briefly was the interim at Grace Evangelical Lutheran. In addition he pastored three churches on the Carolina Charge in Marion and the Tunnelton Charge in Preston County. 

Rev. Meighen enjoyed using ministry in a variety of ways to help people and assist communities.

In media, he wrote a weekly music column “Today’s Sounds” in The Fairmont Times West Virginian; he produced seven shows on three radio stations from 1971-1979 as well as cable shows in Meadowdale and Fairmont.  He founded 24 hour Marion County Public Access Television from 2006-2018 on the Time Warner Cable, writing, filming, and editing over 3,000 programs. He gave copies of all his programs to the Frank and Jane Gabor Folk Life Center and to the Marion County Library.   He began Tv561 and Tv19 Facebook pages to continue live streaming events, particularly County Commission meetings. He started a VIMEO Channel in 2019 for Marion County Heroes of Faith and Justice. He served as media chair for the Greater Fairmont Council of Churches and was responsible for weekly Faith Journey articles in the local paper and assigning prayers at City and County Commissions meetings.  

In education, he started the first after school program in WV in 1971 at Meadowdale’s East Dale School, extending that to Monongalia County with students, WVU faculty and students. In Harrison County he developed a state model with Vincent Memorial Church and Nutter Fort Elementary, extending it to Washington Irving Middle. He was elected to the Harrison County Board of Education in 1999. Coming to Fairmont, he led a successful Bond Call to build a new West Fairmont Middle School in 2002 and developed a summer playground program at 5th Street and a 200 plus student after school program at Central United Methodist Church. For these efforts, The West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service and the Governor’s Office awarded Vincent Memorial Church in Nutter Fort in 1998 and Central United Methodist Church in 2002 as the State Church of the Year. 

In Public Service, he formerly served as Chair of Mission West Virginia, Scott’s Run Settlement House, United Way Fund Drive, and the Fairmont Coalition for Homelessness. He was a former Members of Center for Professional Development, the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission, Presbyterian Neighborhood House in Pursglove, Marion County Senior Citizens, Fairmont Rotary Club, and Family Resource Network.  

As a minister, he served Central UMC where the first official Father’s Day Service was held where he portrayed Fletcher Golden, the Father who inspired Father’s Day. In 2006 he helped commemorate the first Miners Day Service in America with Creed Holden that set aside Dec. 6th as the yearly day to honor miners of WV & America.

As a sports fan, he was play by play announcer for high school and college sports, assisted in AAU WV teams, and started church basketball in Morgantown while continuing the Fairmont Council of Churches Basketball League. 

He has been honored in many ways: The First Donal Jack Squires Lifetime Achievement Award from Marion County Chamber of Commerce in 2008; Rotarian of the Fairmont Club in 2021; Senior of the Year by The Fairmont Times West Virginian in 2015; Harrison County Parks and Recreation Person of the Year in 1996; Family Resource Hero of   2016; 2021 Mission WV Board Emeritus Member; 2017 WV United Methodist Communication Conference Award.

The family has entrusted the arrangements to the Ford Funeral Home, Ford Chapel, 201 Columbia Street, Fairmont. Friends will be received on Thursday, June 26, 2025 from 2 pm until 8 pm.  Visitation will continue on Friday, June 27, 2025 at the Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1640 Big Tree Drive, Fairmont from 10 am until 11 am. The funeral service will be held in the church on Friday at 11 am with Rev. Dick Bowyer, Rev. Larry Buckland and Rev. Peggy Scharff Petrich officiating.  Interment will at Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont in Fairmont. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fordfuneralhomes.com.

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