After 14 years as principal at Zia Intermediate School, Mr. Pat Meeks is bidding a fond farewell to the thousands of sixth and seventh grade students he has instructed and nurtured throughout his career.

Meeks, who retired this month after a total of 18 years with the APS, will be remembered by both co–workers and students as a man who loved his work and the children he worked with.

"I think he was a very fine administrator, and I really enjoyed the experiences I had while working with him," said Rex Robinson, APS director of technology who served as assistant principal at Zia for five years. "He always put the children first."

Meeks was born on July 8, 1941, in Albuquerque. He was raised in Vaughn and graduated from high school there. In 1964, he graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and began teaching in Estancia, N.M., that same year. There, he met his wife, Carol, and they were married in 1965.

From 1966–1978, Meeks worked as a science teacher, counselor and coach at the junior high level in Deming. In 1976, he obtained his Master of Science degree from Western New Mexico University and returned to NMSU in 1978 to procure his Education Specialist degree.

Also in 1978, Meeks made yet another move, this time to Truth or Consequences, where he served as principal of Hot Springs High School for six years.

He finally settled in Artesia in 1984, and his first position with the APS was as assistant principal at Park Junior High. In 1987, Meeks took over for Vernon Asbill as principal at Zia Intermediate School and finished out his long and rewarding education career there.

"The staff at Zia has to have a special feeling for that age of students," said Meeks. "Our catchphrase was they’re ‘too old to play with dolls and too young to drive.’"

Meeks never intended to become an administrator. "It just kind of evolved," he said. Over his career, he made the progression from teacher to guidance counselor to principal.

He definitely enjoyed his years presiding over Zia, however. "I really like that age level," he said. "The students there are still polite and still respectful of authority figures."

Meeks witnessed many changes in the school over the years, the most recent being the ongoing construction. "The construction of the new sciences classrooms and gymnasium have been a goal of mine since about ten years ago when we started planning for them," he said. The new science classes should be open to Zia students by the start of the new year, and the gym is slated for completion in March.

"My years at Zia were very good," said Meeks. "The teaching staff contributed to the overall success we now have at Zia. The student body was always different and challenging, but they’re what it’s all about."

Now that he is retired, Meeks plans to start spending more time with his family, listing traveling to Denver, Colo., to see his grandson as his top priority. Meeks’ two sons both graduated from AHS – Keith is now a computer programmer for FedEx in Memphis, Tenn., and Kip is a high school math teacher and swimming and girls’ soccer coach in Denver.

He also plans to spend time in the Dallas area visiting family and friends and begin attending writers conferences with his wife, who is also retired after 15 years with Brewer Oil Company. He and his wife have also chosen to stay in Artesia.

Meeks saw a generation of students go through the halls of Zia Intermediate, and it is evident he will be missed by staff and students alike.

"He was always caring, and he helped the school out a lot," said Jessica Simons, a seventh grader at Zia.

"He did a very good job with the kids; he always had their interests at heart," said Larry Combs, director of special education who worked with Meeks as assistant principal at Zia. "He was a very good leader, and he was truly there for the kids."

"He was one of the most wonderful principals that I could imagine ever having," said Dana Grassie, a sixth grade language arts teacher at Zia. "He always had good advice for me, and he taught me a whole lot about having patience and being a good teacher."

Mr. Meeks will always hold a special place in the hearts of the teachers and students whose school and lives he strove to enrich and improve. Now, however, he is ready for a well–deserved rest.