The guy killed at the gas station was a local from my area. :'(
He sounds like he was a great person obliterated for someone's deranged pleasure :'(

This is taken from the Pottstown Mercury Newspaper.
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OBELISK -- The family of the Montgomery County native killed by a sniper Wednesday weathered both grief and a media onslaught Friday, as a national story became suddenly and intensely local.
Dean H. Meyers, 53, a 1967 Boyertown Area High School graduate, was killed by a sniper in Manassas, Va., when he stopped after work to buy gas.

Dean's brother, Bob Meyers, who lives in the Obelisk area, spoke to The Mercury Friday on behalf of his parents, Rose and G. Harold Meyers of Obelisk, and other family. Bob Meyers graciously answered questions about his brother, even after a day of entertaining questions from every major television station and newspaper in the region.

"We want to honor Dean for who he was and to bring honor to God," said Bob Meyers. "We may not be able to understand or explain what's going on, but it will not make us turn away from God."

Bob Meyers described his brother, one of four Meyers sons raised in the rural village of Obelisk, as very unselfish, caring and giving -- someone always willing to give of his time or resources.

"Because he was never married, he was able to give his time, especially to children, and had the resources to do things for people. He was 'Uncle Dean' to many kids," Bob Meyers said. "He paid attention to people in general, and especially kids. He was very likable and very low key."

After his graduation from high school, Dean Meyers served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, on search-and-destroy missions with the 1st Cavalry. During an ambush of his platoon, he was wounded, losing the use of his left arm, his brother said.

After Dean Meyers' return to the U.S., it took more than 18 months of surgery and therapy, but he regained the use of his arm. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his service.

"He faced a lot of adversity in Vietnam, and he was not a macho guy -- he was just a kid barely out of high school," Bob Meyers said. "I just find it kind of ironic that he survived a wound in battle and didn't survive this trip to the gas station."

Dean Meyers earned a degree in civil engineering from Penn State in 1975. He subsequently took a position with Dewberry & Davis, a civil engineering firm in Manassas, Va. More than 25 years later, Dean Meyers was still with the firm, working as a project manager.

He had been working late Wednesday night on a special project, his brother said. He stopped to get gas for the 35-mile trip to his home in Gaithersburg, Md., and was fatally shot.

Police in Manassas gave Dean Meyer's address book to Pennsylvania State Police, who tracked down a nephew in Pennsylvania, who informed the rest of the family.

Deborah Kay Dawson of Fleetwood, a Boyertown classmate of Dean Meyers, said she remembered him as a really nice guy.

"We were friends," she said. "He was very quiet and shy. Just a wonderful person."

Dawson flipped through her copy of the 1967 Bear Yearbook Friday to see what school activities Meyers was in.

Under Meyers' senior class photo was his nickname, "Dino," his favorite subjects: English and P.O.D., or Problems of Democracy; and a mention that he liked antique cars and sports and hoped to attend college in the future.

"He liked history -- especially the Civil War, and had a real interest in older vehicles," Bob Meyers said. "He was quite a gentleman."

"He was quietly concerned about other people, and he never drew attention to himself," co-worker Dave Brent said. "He did things to make things happen and never took credit for it himself."

Brent said Meyers was a hard worker and always was the last to leave the office. Brent said his friend once gave hundreds of dollars to an office campaign that raised money for underprivileged children to go Christmas shopping.

"He was a good neighbor," said Suzanne Iverson, whose home is next to the tidy townhouse where Meyers lived alone for 24 years in Gaithersburg.

"It is very sad when it hits you so close to home," she said. "He was always willing to help."

Iverson moved into the neighborhood after her mother, Carol, moved to a nearby retirement community. Carol Iverson remained Meyers' friend, and had him over for dinner last week.

"He was perfectly delightful," she said, her voice breaking. "I can't say enough good things about him. He always had a kind word. He always had time to stop and talk."

When he was home, neighbors said he worked in his ivy-trimmed yard, took runs along the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail and liked to canoe.

He was a talented piano player, despite his injury, and loved to play all types of sports, including hiking, volleyball, tennis and softball, according to his brother. Meyers visited his family in Pennsylvania every six weeks or so and on all major holidays, always bringing "very carefully selected gifts for all the children at Christmas," Bob Meyers said.

Neighbor Barbara Stewart said Meyers was known for being helpful, and often offered assistance to her husband, who has Parkinson's disease. He frequently helped her lift heavy bags of dog food out of her car, she said.

Neighbor Clara Johnson said Meyers looked out for cats in the community. "He would just take all the stray cats he could find and take them in his house and feed them," she said.

Johnson said whoever killed Meyers is "a person that has no heart, no love, no concern -- but most of all, no love in his heart."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

ŠThe Mercury 2002


Da Dwarfs
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UD/PC911 crunching in memory of

Freddie (1949-1990)
Miss ya bro

Vicky (1960-2002)
You fought long and hard

PEACE