John Richard Meade, 64, of Riverview, Florida unfortunately departed from his physical body far too soon on March 5, 2016. He is survived by his two children, John and Jenna, his brother Jim, and his sister Sandra, plus a list of nieces, nephews, and cousins too numerous to mention.

John was born in Nashville, TN on August 23, 1951. He moved to Riverview with his family as a teenager and graduated from East Bay high school. After serving in the Army for a few years, John moved back to Riverview, earning a living in construction and eventually obtained his contractor's license. He built several homes in Sun City in the 1970's and 1980's. People will remember him by his love of animals, especially exotic birds. He would even bring some of his flock out to sites from time to time, where the birds would perch on ladders while he worked. His love of birds inspired him to build his own farm. Eventually he stopped working construction all together to focus on his new business. He served as the President of the Florida Federation of Aviculture for multiple years, and became a leading source of information in the Avian community for the rest of his life. He was a mentor and dear friend to many. He was obsessed with physical health, tirelessly researching holistic medicine for the last decade and educating the people he cared for in leading healthier lives. He will be sorely missed and celebrated as a hard-working, intelligent man who valued the truth above all things.

Much like the way he lived his life, services will be held in a very non-traditional sense. We will gather at O'briens Pub at 9pm on Friday, March 11, 2016, where he spent many Friday nights dancing with friends and chatting with locals at the bar. A very casual celebration of his life will take place at his home in Riverview, on Saturday March 12, 2016 from 2pm until 10pm. Light snacks will be provided, but feel free to bring food or refreshments.