Meridian restaurateur Mike Partridge is being remembered for his warm, friendly and generous spirit that made everyone feel like family as soon as they walked through the doors of The Rustler.

Following a short illness, Partridge died Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

“He was a wonderful person,” said Meridian businesswoman Albree Sanders Florey, owner of World of Flowers and Gifts. “He was such an asset to the community.”

She said the way Partridge operated his restaurant, being attentive to his customers and fair in his dealings, set a good example to other small business owners like herself.

In October, Partridge marked 34 years at the helm of The Rustler. A local favorite for its steaks and seafood, the restaurant was as much a part of him as he was a part of its charm and inviting atmosphere.

“It was always a really neat place to go eat and a great fun dining experience,” Florey said. “He just really took care of everybody. He took care of all of his customers, was a fair businessman, was generous and loved what he did, and he certainly loved his daughter being there working with him.”

Partridge started out working on-air in the radio business as a teenager. His father, the late Don Partridge, was co-owner of WDAL, which later became Q-101. He continued on in the business as a disc jockey, salesperson and assistant manager for more than another decade, including a stint as one half of the host team of “The Mike & O’Neal Show.”

In 1990, Partridge decided to trade the radio business for the restaurant business, despite having no experience in the latter, and purchased The Rustler, which had originally opened in 1981 in its current location on Old Highway 80 West.

“He had been in radio his whole life with his dad. The restaurant kind of just fell into his lap,” said his daughter Semmes Martin, who joined its staff in 2016 and has helped her father manage the business in recent years.

She said her father found his niche when he purchased the restaurant and its longtime success can be attributed to his hard work, his generosity and the smile he greeted all of his customers with regardless of who they were.

“The customer service part was his favorite part of the restaurant business,” Martin said. “I watched him do his thing every day, and he loved all of it.”

Martin, who has discovered a love for the restaurant business just like her dad, said she has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the community over her father’s passing. One post on social media has received more than 1,000 comments.

“He had no idea he was so loved, and he would have been so moved by it,” she said.

Meridian resident Laura Grice said The Rustler tops her family’s list of favorite restaurants when dining out.

“That is our go-to restaurant. It is where we have always celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, family celebrations, and that is because of Mike and his staff at The Rustler. They are the best,” she said.

Grice worked at The Rustler for four-and-a-half years while in college, even meeting her husband Tim there. She said the restaurant has always drawn customers not only from the region but also from out of state. She credited Partridge for its success.

“He knew everyone that came through the door. He remembered their names, and he always asked about their family,” she said. “He would go out of his way to accommodate everyone. If he could seat you and serve you, then he would.”

In a Facebook post a day earlier, Florey remembered The Rustler and the special atmosphere Partridge created at the restaurant.

“Growing up ‘The Rustler’ was for adults, sports jackets, and true business men and their wives. Celebrations there were always special and no one dared to wear blue jeans or a hat,” she recalled.

But, she said, Partridge “rolled with the changes of fine dining but never compromised his vision or the quality. He helped put Meridian on the food map for a truly memorable experience.”

Funeral services for Partridge will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home chapel with interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.