It is with deepest regret and sorrow that we announce the passing of Judge Kenneth J. Meyers early the past Saturday morning. As most of you are aware, Judge Meyers had been battling cancer for some time. We are informed that he passed quietly at home.

Funeral arrangements:  A Visitation will be held Monday, April 16, 2018 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Saint Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois. A Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at Saint Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois with Father John Iffert officiating. Entombment will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at 10:30 A.M. at Keller Cemetery in Lovington, Illinois. Memorials may be made in Kenneth’s honor to the National Down Synrome Society or Saint Mary Catholic School.

National Down Syndrome Society contact information:
Email Address: donations@ndss.org

Additional information may be found here: https://www.hugheyfh.com/notices/JudgeKenneth-Meyers

BASIL is saddened at the passing of Judge Kenneth J. Meyers, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge (Ret.) for the Southern District of Illinois, on April 14, 2018. Judge Meyers had an illustrious career both as a litigator and on the bench, and was a great friend to BASIL even after his retirement.  His presence will be missed in the bankruptcy community and as a loved member of the BASIL family.

On behalf of the board of The Bankruptcy Association of Southern Illinois, we offer our sincere condolences to the judge’s family and loved ones during this time of sorrow and grief.

BASIL

The following was printed in the Belleville News Democrat:

Former federal bankruptcy judge for Southern Illinois, Kenneth Meyers, dies

April 14, 2018 04:49 PM

Updated April 14, 2018 04:49 PM

Former federal bankruptcy judge Kenneth Meyers, who served the Southern Illinois district, died Saturday.

Meyers retired in 2015 after serving 40 years as a federal judge. He served as the chief bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of Illinois from 1986 to 2010. He held court in East St. Louis, Alton, Mount Vernon and Effingham.

Laura K. Grandy, the current chief judge of the bankruptcy court, said she remembers Meyers as a good friend and mentor.

“When we first met, Judge Meyers told me, 'Kid, always be prepared and always be on time, and we’ll always get along.'" Grandy said. "At the courthouse, his sense of humor and insight created a court family that was ready to take on complex judicial projects. He was respected by both those he ruled for and those he ruled against. To those who knew him well, he was fair, fun and unforgettable. The halls of justice have lost one of their most creative and dedicated jurists.”

In 1985, Meyers presided over a case involving the lockdown of a federal penitentiary following the murder of two prison guards. His ruling in that case set the first guidelines for implementing prison lockdowns.

In 2002, under Meyers' direction, the bankruptcy court in the Southern District of Illinois became one of the first courts to successfully convert from a paper filing system to an electronic one.

Meyers graduated from law school in 1969.