Thanks for stopping by for a visit. My name is Michael Meakes and I hope that you find something of use here in my pages. First I will tell you abit about me, then on to the good stuff.

I was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 56 years ago. Though I actually grew up near Los Angeles, California. After graduating from high school and spending four years in the US Marine Corps, I married, had a beautiful daughter named Charity and moved to Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle, I returned to college to get a degree and attended the University of Washington, where I earned a Bachelors of Science in Astronomy and a Bachelors of Science in Physics. Soon after starting school my wife and I divorced, so the next phase of my journey began. After spending 8 years in Seattle, making friends, getting a couple of degrees and meeting my second wife, I found work at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

I worked as a Senior Compression Technical Assistant in the Catalogs And Survey Branch at the Space Telescope Science Institute. For more information on what I do there, and find some other astronomy related links, you can visit my old work homepage. You can also find some publicly available images and information from the Hubble Space Telescope at the Office of Public Outreach. My interest in astronomy began over 50 years ago, and continues to be a source of intense interest and enjoyment.

My current job is with Living Classrooms as the head of IT, also the IT Director, basically the entire IT Department. A new set of challenges, skills and interests and a great office located on the Inner Harbor, so my day always includes a view of the water.

Since coming to Baltimore, I have developed many interests other than Astronomy. One avocation is sailing and working on traditionally rigged schooners as a deck hand. Linda, my second wife, had the greatest effect on developing this interest for me, though we have now parted ways and I wish her well in her future travels - fare winds. One of my favorite parts of the job is doing the things that a "Bosun" would do. Some of these things include checking the ropes and blocks for wear and repairing them as required. This activity often requires the bosun to climb the rigging in order to check things out and actually do the work while aloft. It is a chance for me to spend time high above the deck, and alone against the skies.

Another major hobby of mine is genealogy. I think one of the most important reasons for me to pursue this interest is that I grew up one thousand or more miles away from all of my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. As a result I never had a real opportunity to get to know any of them very well. After my father started writing about his life and origins, I began to understand how important it is to know something about who your parents are, and how their lives were affected. Not just by their present choices and decisions but also by their parents, siblings and environment.

In July 2009, Chip, my best friend passed away after a long battle with cancer. I miss him in my life still. But in late 2009, Esther his widow and I started to have dinner as long time friends with several common friends, acquantences, and work experiences. (Ask Esther about Regis sometime!) In Dec 2010 we married, and we are now in a magic time, finding out how much we are really alike, and how different our new lives together are! A fantastic new journey together, looking forward to many years together.

So now its time for you to explore, enjoy and educate yourselves, Email me with comments and suggestions, I look forward to hearing from you and maybe incorporating ideas in this website. And also maybe getting to know a few folks who have chosen to wander here.

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Last updated on 30 Dec 2014