Virginia Beach, Va. – It was a tearful goodbye as the city of Virginia Beach said goodbye to their former leader and mayor.
Meyera Oberndorf was laid to rest Monday after a memorial ceremony at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
Her granddaughter Lila Kelso reacted to the hundreds of people that came to her memorial. She said , “It’s amazing as her grandchild to see what an impact she had on such a big city.”
Lila Kelso traveled the world with her grandmother. They went to Japan, Norway, and Iceland together
Meyera was a petite woman with a huge personality.
Kelso said, “I think they were saying that she was 5 feet, but I think she might have been about 4’10. She was definitely a tiny woman, but she was always the center of energy.”
Meyera was the first female mayor for the city.
“She has left a tremendous legacy," says Lari Caldwell, a close friend.
Joe and Sue Hoppel were friends with Meyera Oberndorf and her late husband Roger for over four decades.
"We love them so much," says Hoppel. Sue said she pressured Meyera to run for city council years ago.
She served during a time when it was very much male dominated. Close friend Joe Hoppel said, “Meyera was honest. She said what she thought and if she made a promise, she stuck with it.”
Close friends say Meyera was in love with people and had an ability to connect with them.
Don Hipple lived in the same neighborhood as Meyera. He said, “When you looked at her, she could look right into your heart and know what you were feeling.”
Family members praised the people of Virginia Beach and thanked them for coming to her memorial.
Kelso said, “Great to see the outpouring of people that have come out for my grandmother.”
She was a woman loved by many in the resort city who fought hard for change in the community and worked to make the city what it is today.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association- 6350 Center Drive, Suite 102 Norfolk, VA 23502 (757)450-2405 or ALZ.org or Hospice & Palliative Care- Charlotte Region- 1420 E 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204 or donatehospice.com.
