David “Elliot” Meyer, beloved son of former City of Fairfax Mayor David Meyer and Cindy Meyer and brother of Louisa Meyer, transitioned to heaven on Saturday, December 6, 2025. Elliot was 32 years old and lived a full and transformative life that left an indelible mark on every person he met. Elliot grew up in the City of Fairfax. From the moment he was born, his zest for life was undeniable. He had boundless energy and even before he could talk, he let his family know every time a fire truck drove by the neighborhood. Elliot enjoyed his friends and teachers at Willow Springs Elementary School; he was a leader in Cub and Boy Scouts; and spending each summer at his neighborhood pool as a CCH shark, becoming a talented swimmer and providing a constant source of laughter for everyone around him. From his youngest years, Elliot enjoyed many camping trips to National Parks across North America, fostering a deep and lifelong appreciation for the natural world. At Fairfax High School, Elliot was a varsity swimmer all four years; additionally, in his senior year, he was the editor of the Matrix, the school's literary magazine. He graduated from Fairfax High School in 2011. He was a member of BSA Troop 187 and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Elliot received a B.A. in Political Science from Randolph-Macon College in 2015. During his senior year, he was awarded a fellowship to study the emerging Tea Party movement. His research ultimately led to the publication of his book, entitled Slingshot: The Defeat of Eric Cantor. While in college, Elliot was on the swim team for four years and a member of the Theta Chi fraternity. Upon graduation, Elliot became the Press Assistant to Virgina Governor Terry McAuliffe for two years. Elliot resigned his position with Governor McAuliffe to hike the entire 2,198 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. On this hike, fellow hikers bestowed upon him the trail name moniker, "Fax Machine," a blend of his hometown of Fairfax and his machine-like fast pace with which he hiked. Following the hike, Elliot joined the staff of the Wisconsin Land and Water Association in Madison, Wisconsin, where he became the Association's first Communications Director.

In 2020, he returned to Northern Virginia and, in 2023, earned his M.P.P. with a Certificate in Environmental Sustainability from the Schar School at George Mason University. He continued his service to GMU by working with Virginia local governments to develop climate action plans, a project that will have lasting impact on all Virginians for years to come.

In early 2024, Elliot achieved a lifelong goal of becoming a career employee of the Federal Civil Service in the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). From the perspective of those who knew him, and from his own words, his work in OCED was an opportunity to serve the nation by helping the private sector improve the energy efficiency of industrial operations. He enjoyed every moment being part of this mission and the team. Unfortunately, due to turbulent political disruption, this opportunity was cut short in 2025; however, Elliot persevered and found an opportunity to continue his service with DOE as a Contract Project Manager at Allegheny Science & Technology.

Elliot enjoyed cooking, gardening, hiking, swimming, and running, and completed two half marathons, the 2025 DC Half Marathon on September 14, 2025, and the 2025 Richmond Half Marathon on November 15, 2025. He also enjoyed going to concerts, listening to music, and playing bass guitar. He made friends easily and his quick wit filled parties with laughter. At the same time, he had a keen intellect, an appreciation for irony, and evidenced wisdom beyond his years. Elliot also had a strong sense of justice and fairness and worked tirelessly for organizations and governments to realize better lives for all persons. His understanding and compassion reflected his profound and unique spiritual gifts that he generously shared with everyone through a calm and caring presence. The world was made a better place by David Elliot Meyer.

He is survived by his parents, David and Cindy Meyer; sister Louisa Meyer and her husband Murphy Protzman; and relatives in the Collins and Meyer families, as well as his cat, Leo.

A Service of Celebration of Life will be held at Fairfax United Methodist Church, 10300 Stratford Avenue, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., with a lunch reception following at the church. He will be buried at the Fairfax City Cemetery.

In lieu of memorial trees or flowers, the family requests gifts be made in Elliot’s memory to the Elliot Meyer Endowed Scholarship for Political Science at Randolph-Macon College, Post Office Box 5005, Ashland, VA 23005-5505 or online at rmc.edu/givenow.

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