Emily’s Life

Loved by all who knew her, we remember Emily as pure, radiant light, able to bring undeniable brightness to an aching world.

Emily was the cherished daughter of Mark and Deb Meinerding, making her arrival on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1996. She spent her early years in Cincinnati, followed by five years in Arkansas when the family moved. Other than her four years in college, Emily has since lived in Cincinnati, a city whose beauty she taught everyone to see. Emily graduated in 2018 from Lipscomb University where she studied acting and dance. Also in 2018, on a warm June day, she married her high school sweetheart, Myles McLean, her steadfast advocate and best friend.

Emily was an artist in every sense of the word. A gifted actor, graceful dancer, soulful singer, talented maker, and honest writer, she let her light shine on stage and off. As a homeschool student, she danced ballet and worship dance, competed in NCFCA speech and debate tournaments, played the cello, and acted in community theater productions. 

Emily was an extraordinary storyteller. She embodied every role she played from Mr. Tumnus in a children’s production of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe to her roles in professional theaters as Abigail Williams in The Crucible and Shelby in Steel Magnolias. Recently, she served as the Education & Outreach Director for The Story Collective, a performing arts initiative.

A friend to all, everyone who met Emily felt a special connection with her. She had an unfailing sense of humor and an easy laugh. Emily’s joy brought people together. She hosted beautiful gatherings. She crafted handmade gifts. She asked people what they needed. She listened. She chose her words carefully, and she spoke with profound wisdom.

Emily had a heart for children, and her gentle, playful spirit guided the next generation. In the past four years, she worked as a virtual English tutor, a dance instructor, and a preschool teacher. Emily especially loved teaching ballet and worship dance to young girls at Christian Dance Alliance, where she was a beloved mentor and choreographer. From her students to her nephews, she made every child she encountered feel seen, special, and loved. 

Above all else, Emily was a follower of Jesus Christ, the source of her light. That light was only magnified in the face of cancer. In February 2022, just a month after her diagnosis, she led a worship night where she proclaimed Christ’s victory over illness and death. She lived fully after receiving a short prognosis, traveling with Myles to Hawaii and to England, where they renewed their wedding vows. She generously shared her story on CaringBridge and social media, simultaneously proclaiming God’s goodness and writing with searing honesty about the difficulty of her journey. She knew that God can handle our every raw, painful emotion. And she knew that He would ultimately heal her, on this side of heaven or the next.

While the world will forever be dimmer without Emily in it, her light lives on in the countless lives she touched. We take comfort in knowing she is dancing and singing once more in the throne room of the Almighty God.