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Donald Meeker Sr. married Ella Rae Johnson on July
23, 1947. He was stationed at the Naval Base in Norfolk Virginia.
Ella Rae Johnson was an Ocean View ( community in Norfolk) native.
Donald L. Meeker Sr., Ella Rae Johnson Meeker, and their five
children Donald Jr., Roger, David, Ella and Halbert, all lived in a two
story home at 844 Little Bay Avenue for a period of time in the 1960's.
The family moved to 106 W Bay Avenue a few years later. (To the left is
the Meeker children at the Ocean View Station Museum holding one of
Candy's original clown costumes.) Don was asked by one of the children if he could pass out balloons at a school carnival at Northside Jr. High. Don decided to dress up in clown makeup and assist at the carnival. Enjoying the activity so much he decided he would try his hand at clowning as a part time profession. His permanent employment was as a fireman and later a fire inspector with the Norfolk Fire Department. Don chose and registered the name "Candy the Clown" and continued clowning for 25 years or more. During the Christmas season, there often was a high demand for Candy the Clown to do Christmas programs on many of the ships docked at the Naval Station. On many occasions, Candy needed to appear on different ships at the same time. Don solved this problem by dressing up one or more of his children as "Candy" ad dropping them off at the ships that they were to do their program. They would perform, and then wait on the pier for Don to return to pick them up. Then the carload of "Candy the Clowns" would return home. Don appeared onstage as Candy the Clown at Ocean View Amusement Park on the summer weekends for several years. Whenever his program required a volunteer from the audience to go onstage and have a pie thrown in their face, one of Don's children would be planted in the crowd to be called up to receive the honors. This eliminated the possible problems of maybe injuring someone who was unsuspected of the pie! Don also appeared on local children's programs as Candy the Clown, one being the Bungles Show, and the other the Poop Deck Pappy Show. During the filming of The Final Countdown, Don appeared as a stand-in for actor Charles Durning. He really enjoyed the opportunity f going out on the carrier and meeting Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen. Don Meeker retired from the Norfolk Fire Department and continued clowning for several years. He had three additional children, Robert Scott, Lori, and Stephen Meeker with his second wife, Carol Meeker. All three were Ocean View Meekers and grew up on Bay Avenue. He relocated to Springfield, Illinois and settled into his retirement life.
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Norfolk as a police officer and
firefighter. He is best remembered in the Hampton Roads area as
"Candy the Clown. He is survived by his wife, eight children and
numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
