Meredith Ann Palko

Meredith Ann Palko, 36, of Westfield, IN, formerly of Grand Rapids, MI and Whiting, passed away unexpectedly while hiking the Grand Canyon National Park on May 21, 2023. She died doing what she enjoyed: hiking in a national park. Born on October 31, 1986 in Hammond, IN to Richard and JoAnn (Szczepanski) Palko, she is survived by her parents; sisters, Kari (Joseph) Tolliver of Valparaiso and Lindsay Palko of Whiting; niece, Maisie Tolliver and nephew, Grayden Tolliver; aunts, Carolyn Szczepanski of Whiting, Laura (Jim) Jacewicz of Schererville, Dianne (late John) Palko of Chesterton; uncle, Richard (Gloria) Szczepanski of Hammond; extended family, Paul, Jamie (Tolliver), Lucas and Emma Forney and Bonnie & Jerry Tolliver and numerous cousins. Meredith also had special friends, BethAnne Lossie and Amy and John Metrich; FDIC friends, Lori Thorne, Cheryl Eichhorst, Doug Galbavy, Daryl Thelen, Robert Holmes and Dan VanderWall and childhood friends, Liz Cornelius, Sean Snow and Jenny Orlando. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Harry and Betty Szczepanskil; paternal grandparents, Alfred and Edith Palko and uncle, John Palko.

Growing up in the Whiting-Robertsdale Community, Meredith attended Franklin Elementary School and George Rogers Clark Middle/Senior High School. She was valedictorian of the Class of 2005, having been #1 in her class all four years. Meredith was a two-sport athlete, playing soccer and tennis. She was also a class officer and member of the Clark Science Olympiad Middle and High School teams, competing on the state level. Meredith was also a lifetime Girl Scout, having participated in scouting from Daisies to Senior Scouts. She earned both her Silver and Gold Awards. She was a member of Cadette/Senior Troop 322 that traveled to New York, San Francisco, Florida and Europe. Meredith attended Indiana University in Bloomington and graduated in 2009 from the Kelley School of Business with a double major in Finance and Entrepreneurship. Upon graduation, Meredith began her career with the FDIC in the Grand Rapids field office as a bank examiner before moving to Westfield to work in the Indianapolis field office.

Meredith believed life was meant to be lived and enjoyed. She loved to travel and enjoyed visiting as many National Parks as she could with Lindsay and BethAnne. Family vacations to Kiawah Island, Gulf Shores, Disney World and the Dakotas were treasured. She was an avid hiker and also ran half marathons with Lindsay outside Yosemite National Park in 2016 and Glacier National Park in 2017. She and Lindsay once hiked all 17 miles of trails of the Indiana Dunes State Park in one day. Meredith’s greatest joy was being an aunt to Maisie, Grayden, Lucas and Emma. She loved spending time with them, taking them places, doing crafts and playing games. She was generous to her nieces and nephews and would do anything for them. They were her pride and joy. Meredith was a kind, caring, generous and friendly person. She always had a smile on her face. Her sisters, Kari and Lindsay were more than just her sisters; they were her best friends. They did everything together and had a bond like no other. Meredith led an extraordinary life; the world is a better place for her having been in it.

A Celebration of Meredith’s Life will take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119th Street, Whiting, from 1:00pm until time of the Memorial Service at 4:00pm, Pastor Paul Vale of the New Life Christian Church, Whiting, officiating. Expressions of sympathy may be placed on-line at www.baranfh.com. We ask that in honor of Meredith you wear jeans and your favorite national park, tie-dyed, Indiana University or outdoor t-shirt. That is how Meredith would like to be remembered. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation in Meredith’s name to either the Second Chance 4 Pets Network or the National Parks Foundation. Goodbye our Halloween pumpkin baby. Our family got the best treat when you were born

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