Obituary of Laird Wallace Mealiea

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Laird Wallace Mealiea, 82, on June 22, 2025, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, surrounded by his loving family. We hold him closely in our hearts and miss him dearly.

Laird was born in Weehawken, New Jersey, on March 18, 1943, to Rose Mealiea (Larusso) and Wallace Laird Mealiea. He had a special relationship with his older brother Wallace, his only sibling.They had the same sense of humor and loved to spend an hour on the phone or facetime sharing often long but always funny stories. During his early years in New Jersey, he developed a love of the outdoors, canoeing, and fishing with friends who he kept for life. Laird completed an undergraduate degree and MBA at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, followed by a Doctorate in Organizational Behavior and Theory at the University of Massachusetts.

Laird moved to Nova Scotia in the fall of 1972 for a year-long contract teaching Business in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. During this time, he met the love of his life, Barbara Ann Sullivan. They married and Halifax became his home. He retired as a professor from Dalhousie in 2008. Over those 36 years, he was well like by his many students, as well as business executives he met through his consulting firm, Mealiea & Associates. Laird loved stories, both in retelling them with an appreciation for the comedy of life as well as hearing them told by others. His deep interest in stories and writing found expression in his teaching, his professional writing, where he penned works on management and team building, and in a series of science fiction novels exploring the mysteries of time travel.

Laird was a loving husband and father, devoted to his family – wife Barbara, daughter Jennifer, and son David. He was so proud of Jen and Dave for all of their accomplishments, in life, in music, in academics, and in their careers. His love of the outdoors inspired many a family trip camping, hiking, canoeing, and skiing, all of which built great memories. His dream of a cottage on a lake was realized in 2006 with a family cottage on Sherbrooke Lake in Nova Scotia, where he found peace and contentment. It is a legacy we all continue to cherish. With a keen eye for how things worked, Laird enjoyed a good project, learning how to fix cars with his father and teaching his son Dave about everything from wood working and bikes to tying a trucker’s hitch. He was an avid ham radio enthusiast since his teens and loved souped up cars. He was always looking for a good bridge game with the Sullivan clan, and spoiling our sweet dog, Molly with bread and ham.

Even through health challenges later in life, Laird continued to fish with his family and childhood friends when he could. The desire to stay out on the lake looking for that one last bite never waned.

Laird is predeceased by his parents as well as his brother, Wallace. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Barbara; his daughter Jennifer (Roy); his son David (Colleen); his beloved grandchildren, Patrick and Evie Francis; and his sister-in-law, Linda Mealiea; as well as several nieces and nephews. Consistent with his final wishes, there will be a private family Celebration of Life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be make in Laird's memory to the Brain Canada Foundation.