By Susan Motander
The Monrovia City Council adjourned its regular meeting on Tuesday in honor of Karin Meyer, a local real estate broker as an active advocate for the Hillside Wilderness Preserve. She passed away peacefully on January 17, surrounded by family. She was 72.
She became well known to the residents of Monrovia in the late 1990s when there was a proposal to build a large development in the foothills above the city. Meyer quickly became one of the leaders of the movement to prevent or severely limit the development. The outcome of this movement were the two ballot measures, one to create the Hillside Wilderness Preserve and the other to issue the bonds to pay for the land.
Meyer also wrote a weekly real estate column for the local paper, and every May, she enjoyed giving tours of Monrovia’s grand old homes for the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group. She produced and hosted “Living in Monrovia” for the cable channel, KGEM, and received national recognition for her work in Washington, DC.
Meyer was born on March 5, 1943, in Hamburg, Germany. Her parents were professional entertainers, and she followed in their footsteps as “Germany’s Youngest Performer.” She toured nationally and her talents included demanding acrobatics as well as reciting monologues in several regional dialects.
During her teenage years, she immersed herself in her hometown’s vibrant music scene, where English-speaking bands such as the Beatles played nightly. She loved rock and roll, Elvis and New Orleans Jazz. She founded Mardi Gras, a popular club for local youth.
At 18, she came to America and joined her family in Hartford, Connecticut. She worked as an executive assistant at Aetna and Colt Patent Firearms and married Karsten Meyer. In 1966 they moved to California. She enjoyed her job in downtown Los Angeles, supporting her husband’s growing business, and raising their three children.
When Meyer earned her real estate license, she found her professional calling. She became a top-producing broker and enjoyed building relationships with colleagues and clients. Her career spanned three decades as an agent at Baldwin Realty, L & C Better Homes and Gardens, and Red Carpet.
Meyer valued education. She graduated with an A.A. from Pasadena City College, a B.S. in Real Estate, Finance and Law, as well as a Master of Science in Economics from Cal Poly Pomona. Her thesis focused on the changing market structure of the residential real estate sales industry.
In her free time, she enjoyed organizing outings to the Hollywood Bowl, attending events from the World Affairs Council, dancing on New Year’s Eve, watching fireworks on 4th of July, and traveling extensively throughout the United States and abroad. She went everywhere from China to Scotland, Russia to Monaco, Argentina to New Zealand and countless other places. She always had a sense of adventure.
Meyer is survived by her three children, Andrew, Amber and Stephanie, and their spouses; four grandchildren; her beloved aunt, Helga; Karsten Meyer; extended family and many friends.
A celebration of Karin Meyer’s life will be held on at 3 p.m. on March 12th at Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA. For more details, contact KarinMeyerService@gmail.com.
