Richard Carleton Meeker is best known for his connection to one of American television’s most recognizable stars, Mary Tyler Moore. He became Moore’s first husband in the 1950s, years before she reached the height of her television career. Unlike his famous former wife, Meeker lived largely outside the entertainment spotlight.
Public records provide a modest but useful picture of his life. He was born in Los Angeles in 1927, married Mary Tyler Moore in 1955, and worked in business-related roles, including sales and advertising. Their marriage brought one child, Richard Carleton Meeker Jr., before the couple eventually divorced in the early 1960s.
Richard Carleton Meeker Quick Bio
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Carleton Meeker |
| Born | March 7, 1927 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California |
| Parents | Carleton Ludlow Meeker and Lillian Ross |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | First husband of Mary Tyler Moore |
| Marriage | Mary Tyler Moore, 1955 |
| Occupation | Management, sales, and advertising |
| Child | Richard Carleton Meeker Jr. |
| Son’s nickname | Richie |
| Marriage ended | 1962 |
| Death date | July 8, 2013 |
| Age at death | 86 |
| Place of death | Sacramento, California |
| Burial | Sacramento Valley National Cemetery |
Who Was Richard Carleton Meeker?
Richard Carleton Meeker was an American businessman who became publicly known mainly because of his marriage to Mary Tyler Moore. His own professional life did not center on television acting or celebrity. Instead, available family-history records describe work connected with management, sales, and advertising.
Meeker’s importance in popular biographies comes largely from the period before Moore became a major television star. Their relationship began when Moore was still very young and at the beginning of her professional journey. Their marriage therefore forms an important part of the early chapter of Moore’s personal life.
When Was Richard Carleton Meeker Born?
Richard Carleton Meeker was born on March 7, 1927, in Los Angeles, California. Family-history records identify his parents as Carleton Ludlow Meeker and Lillian Ross. He grew up in California during a period when the country was dealing with the effects of the Great Depression and later entered adulthood during the years surrounding World War II.
There is not a large collection of reliable public material about his childhood, schooling, or early ambitions. That lack of information is important because many online biographies repeat details that are difficult to verify. A careful account of Meeker’s life should separate documented information from assumptions.
Richard Carleton Meeker’s Family Background
Meeker was the son of Carleton Ludlow Meeker and Lillian Ross. Genealogical records place his early life in Los Angeles and identify his parents by name. Beyond those basic details, relatively little is publicly documented about his childhood family life.
This limited public record also explains why most articles about him focus on his adult family rather than his upbringing. His marriage to Mary Tyler Moore and the birth of their son are much better documented than his early years.
Richard Carleton Meeker’s Career and Work
Meeker was not an actor or television personality. His available records instead connect him with management, sales, and advertising work in California. Some biographies have described him specifically as a cranberry juice salesman around the time he married Moore, while broader family-history records use more general occupational descriptions.
Because these descriptions are not identical, it is safer to describe his career as business and sales-related rather than attach a single job title to his entire working life. What is clear is that his professional identity was separate from Mary Tyler Moore’s entertainment career.
How Did Richard Carleton Meeker Meet Mary Tyler Moore?
Richard Meeker and Mary Tyler Moore were neighbors before they married. Moore was born in 1936 and was only 18 when she married Meeker in 1955. Contemporary biographical accounts describe Meeker as being about 28 at the time.
Their relationship began before Moore became widely famous. She was still developing her career, while Meeker was already working outside the entertainment industry. This made their early relationship quite different from the celebrity-centered marriages Moore would later experience.
Richard Carleton Meeker and Mary Tyler Moore’s Marriage
Richard Carleton Meeker and Mary Tyler Moore married on August 25, 1955, in California. Moore was 18, while Meeker was about a decade older. Their marriage marked the beginning of a family chapter that would soon include their only child.
The marriage lasted several years, but it did not continue permanently. Public biographical records place their divorce in 1962. Later that same year, Moore married television executive Grant Tinker, beginning another major chapter in her personal and professional life.
Did Richard Carleton Meeker Have Children?
Yes. Richard Carleton Meeker and Mary Tyler Moore had one child, a son named Richard Carleton Meeker Jr. He was born on July 3, 1956, in Los Angeles. Because father and son shared almost the same name, biographical records can sometimes cause confusion between the two.
The younger Richard was commonly known as Richie. He was Moore’s only child and remained an important part of her family story. Public records confirm the father-son relationship, while later accounts of Moore’s life frequently discuss the profound impact of losing her son at a young age.
Richard Carleton Meeker Jr. and His Family Connection
Richard Carleton Meeker Jr. is an important part of any biography of his father because he was the couple’s only child. The younger Richard was born in Los Angeles in 1956 and died in 1980 at age 24.
His death became one of the most painful events in Mary Tyler Moore’s personal history. Sources differ in how they discuss some details surrounding the incident, but family and biographical records consistently identify him as Moore’s only son. This distinction also helps readers avoid confusing his records with those of his father.
Life After the Divorce
After his marriage to Mary Tyler Moore ended, Richard Meeker largely remained outside the public eye. Unlike Moore, he did not build a public career in television or become a regular subject of entertainment coverage.
This is one reason reliable information about his later personal life is limited. There are few widely documented interviews or public appearances that provide a detailed account of his activities after the divorce. Most later references to him are connected to family records or his earlier relationship with Moore.
Did Richard Carleton Meeker Work in Hollywood?
Richard Meeker is sometimes associated with Hollywood because of his marriage to Mary Tyler Moore, but that does not mean he was a Hollywood performer. Available records describe his work in management, sales, and advertising rather than acting.
His connection to the entertainment world was therefore primarily personal. He was married to Moore before she became one of the defining television stars of her generation. That connection has kept his name relevant in biographies about her life.
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Richard Carleton Meeker’s Later Years
The public record becomes especially limited when discussing Meeker’s later decades. Family-history records indicate that he eventually lived in California and died in Sacramento on July 8, 2013, at the age of 86.
Records also identify his burial at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California. These details provide a documented endpoint to his life, even though many aspects of his later years remain private.
Richard Carleton Meeker’s Connection to Mary Tyler Moore’s Legacy
Meeker’s place in history is closely connected to Mary Tyler Moore’s rise from a young actress to a major television figure. Their marriage took place before her best-known television roles and before she became a household name across the United States.
That does not mean Meeker played a professional role in Moore’s later success. Rather, he was part of the early personal chapter of her life. Their son was also an important part of that chapter, making the family connection more significant than Meeker’s limited public career.
Final Thoughts on Richard Carleton Meeker
Richard Carleton Meeker lived a life that was largely private, but his connection to Mary Tyler Moore placed him in the story of one of America’s best-known television personalities. He married Moore when she was only 18 and before her career reached national fame. Together, they had one son, Richard Carleton Meeker Jr.
Although public information about Meeker’s personal and professional life is limited, the available records provide a clear outline of his story. He was born in Los Angeles in 1927, worked in business-related fields, married Moore in 1955, and remained mostly away from public attention after their divorce. He died in California in 2013 at age 86.
His story is therefore less about celebrity than about the early family life surrounding a future television icon. Looking at the documented facts helps keep his biography separate from the much larger public story of Mary Tyler Moore while explaining why his name continues to attract interest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Richard Carleton Meeker
Who was Richard Carleton Meeker?
Richard Carleton Meeker was an American businessman best known publicly as the first husband of actress Mary Tyler Moore. He married Moore in 1955, before her major television success.
When was Richard Carleton Meeker born?
Richard Carleton Meeker was born on March 7, 1927, in Los Angeles, California, according to family-history records.
Who was Richard Carleton Meeker married to?
He was married to Mary Tyler Moore. The couple married in California in August 1955 and later divorced in 1962.
Did Richard Carleton Meeker have children?
Yes. He and Mary Tyler Moore had one son, Richard Carleton Meeker Jr., who was born on July 3, 1956.
What did Richard Carleton Meeker do for a living?
Available records associate him with management, sales, and advertising. Other biographies have described him as a cranberry juice salesman around the time of his marriage to Moore.
When did Richard Carleton Meeker and Mary Tyler Moore divorce?
Their marriage ended in 1962. Moore later married television executive Grant Tinker that same year.
When did Richard Carleton Meeker die?
Richard Carleton Meeker died on July 8, 2013, in Sacramento, California. He was 86 years old.
Why is Richard Carleton Meeker still searched today?
Interest in Meeker mainly comes from his connection to Mary Tyler Moore and their family. His name also appears in searches because he shared his name with their son, Richard Carleton Meeker Jr., which can create confusion between the two men.
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