November 6, 2025
by Apostolos Koutropoulos
Comments Off on Obituary: Professor Charles (Chuck) Meyer
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved colleague, Professor Emeritus Charles (Chuck) Meyer. Professor Meyer was a cornerstone of the Department of Applied Linguistics — a brilliant scholar, devoted educator, and kind, generous human being whose humor, humility, and intellectual depth touched everyone around him.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Professor Meyer received his B.A. in Linguistics (1976), M.A. in English (1978), and Ph.D. in English (1983), all from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, where his dissertation, A Descriptive Study of American Punctuation, foreshadowed his lifelong interest in the empirical study of language and grammar.
He began his teaching career at Western Kentucky University (1983–1986) before joining the University of Massachusetts Boston as Assistant Professor of English in 1986. He became a pivotal figure in the development and institutionalization of Applied Linguistics—first as a program and later as an independent department—where he served as a faculty member from 1991 until his retirement and as department chair from 2012 to 2015. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1991 and to Full Professor in 1999. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 2020 after more than three decades of devoted service to the university, his students, and his colleagues—years marked by his intellect, leadership, generosity, and deep commitment to academic life.
Professor Meyer’s pioneering research in Corpus Linguistics and World Englishes transformed how we understand language variation, change, and use. As Co-Director of the American Component of the International Corpus of English (ICE), he helped lead a groundbreaking global effort to document and analyze English across national and regional contexts. He was a major figure in ICAME, the society attached to the ICE project, attending the annual conference for many years. He was invited to give guest lectures in England, Northern Ireland, Spain, Germany, and Japan. His work always transcended data collection; it sought to illuminate how language reflects identity, community, and the dynamic processes of communication and change.
Among his many publications — including ten books and nearly fifty articles and book chapters — his volumes English Corpus Linguistics and Introducing English Linguistics (Cambridge University Press) became foundational texts that shaped generations of linguists and educators. For the second edition of English Corpus Linguistics, his last book, he substantially rewrote the text with new data and new sections making it essentially a different book (Cambridge 2023). He also authored Apposition in Contemporary English (Cambridge UP) and co-edited The Verb in Contemporary English (Cambridge UP). His co-edited book The Variability of Current World Englishes (De Gruyter, 2014) further exemplified his global and collaborative approach to linguistic inquiry.
Beyond his own research, Professor Meyer played a central role in shaping the field through his extensive editorial and professional service. As Co-Editor of the Language and Computers series (Rodopi Publishers, Amsterdam) and longtime Editorial Board Member of Cambridge University Press’s Studies in English Language series, he nurtured innovative scholarship and elevated corpus-based research internationally. His tenure as Editor and later Co-Editor of the Journal of English Linguistics expanded the journal’s reach and influence, while his leadership in organizations such as the International Corpus of English and the American Dialect Society reflected his lifelong dedication to building scholarly communities grounded in rigor and collegiality.
Students in Applied Linguistics greatly valued his courses and the depth of knowledge he brought into every class. His colleagues had great respect for his wisdom, integrity, and unassuming brilliance. As Department Chair, he led with fairness and care, guiding the department through challenging transitions while never losing his sense of humor.
Yet beyond his many accomplishments, Chuck will be remembered most for his humanity. His humor animated our conversations, his kindness made others feel seen and valued, and his warmth brightened every room.
We will miss him terribly — his intellect, his laughter, his generosity of spirit. The world, and the Applied Linguistics Department, feel profoundly emptier without him. But he leaves an enduring legacy in scholarship, in teaching, and in the generations of students and future educators whose thinking and practice he shaped with care, wisdom, and humanity.
Professor Meyer leaves behind his wife, closest friend and companion, Libby Fay, and his beloved daughter Eleanor Rose Meyer and daughter-in-law Andrea Everett. He is survived by his brother Jim and sisters Jean and Katie. He will be interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery in December, and any posts, photos, letters can be uploaded to the cemetery’s webpage for him after the burial. Donations can be made by planting a tree in Chuck’s memory at The Gifted Tree for Massachusetts. Plans are being made for a campus memorial event to celebrate Professor Meyer’s life and career; please watch for the announcement.
