Dec. 29—Lodi's Bill Meehleis, the owner of a successful construction company and a builder of the community he so proudly served, died last Thursday. He was 82.

Family described Meehleis as a giant of a man, gentle and soft-spoken, who when he put his mind to something, he could get it done and make sure others benefited.

"He just loved Lodi," son Mark Meehleis said. "Every time we bought a T-shirt or hat for Meehleis (Modular Buildings), he had to have Lodi printed somewhere on it."

Born in the Los Angeles suburb of South Gate in 1940, Bill Meehleis met his wife Carolyn at the age of 12, as the two lived across the street from one another at the time.

The family said he set a goal of marrying her, and the pair wed in 1960 at the age of 19.

"I had him 62 years," Carol Meehleis said. "We all went to high school together and about eight or 10 of us were married together in that class. A lot of marriages don't last that long."

Carol Meehleis said it was important to her husband that the family remained intact, and was the official "trip planner" for the clan.

The family went to Hawaii, Alaska, France, Italy, and just about everywhere, she said, which was Bill's dream.

"There was not a mean bone in his body," she said. "He was kind, forgiving, trusting, and supportive. We were just a good team. And Lodi has been great to us. They made us feel welcome here, and we just loved it here."

Bill Meehleis graduated from Morningside High School in Inglewood and attended El Camino College, eventually entered the construction industry when he took a job at Meehleis Steel, his uncle's company.

Mark Meehleis said his father moved the family between Los Angeles and the Bay Area a handful of times before finally settling in Fremont and founding Meehleis Modular Buildings in 1981. The company would purchase the steel for its projects from Lodi Fab, and owner Fred Baybarz eventually convinced the Meehleis family to move in 1986.

"Dad managed to buy a boat, and he'd drag the family up to Lake Camanche on the weekends," daughter Cheryl Sinclair said. "He just fell in love with it here. We first moved into a house off Lakeshore, and at the time, all we saw was Cherokee Lane. But my dad always saw greatness in things before anyone else."

When a property near Lodi Fab became available, Bill Meehleis purchased it and completed the company's new headquarters at 1301 E. Lodi Ave. using materials supplied by Baybarz.

Bill Meehleis asked his friend for an invoice, and Baybarz said the steel was a gift for moving to Lodi.

The "pay it forward" gesture was something Bill Meehleis practiced for the rest of his life.

He would become involved with a variety of nonprofit organizations and civic clubs, including Rotary, the Salvation Army and the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Melissa Modular Buildings helped complete a number of projects around Lodi, including at Micke Grove Regional Park, Lodi Lake, the Grape Bowl and Hutchins Street Square, among others.

Sinclair's husband Michael worked for Bill Meehleis, and still works for the company under brother-in-law Mark.

He said the Meehleis patriarch was the best boss anyone could have.

"He taught us integrity and humanity," Michael Sinclair said. "He also taught us to treat people the way you want to be treated. And he was never pessimistic about anything. He was always optimistic and never complained."

When not running the company, Bill Meehleis enjoyed camping, family trips, race cars and airplanes.

He was able to drive NASCAR stock cars in Las Vegas and Indianapolis, and obtained a pilot's license, which allowed him to fly a B-17 as a copilot.

Bill Meehleis grew up near Los Angeles International Airport and developed an early love for airplanes, Mark Meehleis said.

"If it had a motor and it flew, he loved it," he said.

Bill Meehleis also attended the Reno Air Races every year, except in 2011, when a P-51D Mustang crashed into spectators.

"We called him the luckiest man alive," Cheryl Sinclair said. "That plane crashed into the bleachers just a dozen seats from where he would usually sit. And he didn't go to the races that year."

Lodi Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Pat Patrick said Bill Meehleis was outgoing and friendly, and a tremendous giver.

Bill and Carol Meehleis were both named Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 2012, and were both inducted into the Lodi Hall of Fame in 2006.

They were also presented with the Community Service Award by former mayor Alan Nakanishi last year, among several honors and recognitions they've received over the decades.

"He brought his business here from the East Bay, and he was very quiet in terms of talking about his success," Patrick said. "But he built a very successful company with a reputation benefiting Bill and his family throughout California and beyond. They may very well be the best modular builders in California."

Bill Meehleis is survived by his wife Carol, son Chris, daughter Cheryl Sinclair and husband Michael, and son Mark. A memorial service and reception will be held in Kirst Hall at Hutchins Street Square on Jan. 6.

"There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for anybody," Mark Meehleis said. "You never had to ask him for anything. He just had a giant demeanor, and was just a giant of a guy."