Suzanne Ruth Meyer

CAPT Suzanne Ruth Meyer (56, Lorton VA and formerly Monroeville PA) passed away peacefully on Dec 14, 2024, surrounded by her family, best friend, and the love of her friends and colleagues. She loved her devoted husband Jim Phillips, his children James and Morgan Phillips, her adoring parents David and Mary Lou Serene Meyer, her sister Rebecca Meyer Gottlieb with husband EJ Gottlieb, and beloved nieces Emily, Vanessa, and Audrey Gottlieb, and her childhood best friend Dr. Karen Vossen Smirnakis. Suzanne was a brilliant, loyal, curious, and caring person. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with BA Political Science, BA Russian language, MA in International Affairs, and was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. After graduating, she joined the Navy, and CAPT “Oscar” Meyer served her country as a Naval Officer for 28 years. Most recently she served as the Deputy Director, Directorate of Capabilities and Partnerships (N3), Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and a member of the Senior Naval Intelligence Manager for Russia team. Her operational tours included intelligence officer on USS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER (CVN-69); targeting officer on USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) in operation ENDURING FREEDOM; and Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (N2) on USS NIMITZ, where she successfully led an enterprise of over 100 intelligence and cryptologic personnel. Her shore assignments include Office of Naval Intelligence Liaison Officer to Canadian Forces Pacific Fleet Headquarters in Victoria, British Columbia; Chief of Targets, Naval Forces Central Command/ CSF (Commander Fifth Fleet) HQ in Bahrain for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM; Special Briefing Officer and Assistant Deputy Director of Intelligence (ADDI) in the National Military Command Center, Joint Staff J2 (Washington DC); Assistant Executive Officer to the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; Chief of Targets, U.S. Pacific Fleet and JTF-519, Pearl Harbor, HI; and Chief of ISR Plans and ISR Operations Branches in the Directorate for Intelligence, U.S. Central Command, Tampa FL. CAPT Meyer served as the Joint Staff/J2 Defense Intelligence Agency representative to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, NY, where she provided daily intelligence briefings to five U.S. Ambassadors, including a sitting Cabinet member and delivered time-sensitive threat warning message to the UN Directorate of Safety and Security, ensuring the safeguarding of 18 international UN peacekeeping missions around the world. As the public face of the U.S. Intelligence Community, she also played a critical role in the development and implementation of the first-ever UN framework policy on peacekeeping intelligence. She also served as the Chief, Navy Team, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Executive Officer to the three-star Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, now known as the DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, under the Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Washington DC). In 2024 CAPT Meyer was awarded the prestigious Legion of Merit award for outstanding service. Her other awards include: Defense Meritorious Service Medal (x2), Meritorious Service Medal (x2), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (x2), Joint Service Commendation Medal (x3), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (x2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (x3), Joint Service Achievement Medal, The United Nations Military and Police Advisors’ Community Medal. We invite all who cherished her to join us in a celebration of life on Wed Dec 18 5:30-7pm at Mountcastle funeral home in Woodbridge VA or Fri Dec 20 2–4 & 6–8pm at GENE H. CORL FUNERAL CHAPEL INC. AND CREMATION SERVICES OF MONROEVILLE, 4335 Northern Pike (412-372-2100); where a service will be held Sat Dec 21 at 10am. She will be buried in Edgewood cemetery in Saltsburg PA on Sat Dec 21. For those moved to honor Suzanne’s legacy, please consider memorial donations to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer; or to Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen, which held special meaning to Suzanne for their impact on nourishing world communities.

Suzanne Ruth Meyer

December 14, 2024