Kenneth L. Merrick

Merrick, Kenneth L.
82, of Sun City West, died February 14, 2013, at Hospice Family Care in Peoria. He was born July 8, 1930, in Allerton, IA, to J.C. "Sam" and Alta Merrick. He grew up on a farm in Allerton and graduated in 1948 from Allerton High School, where he was a member of the basketball team and played trumpet in the school band. He served in the U.S. Army from 1951-53 and later moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State University, where he graduated in 1957. He met his wife, Faye, while both worked for Valley National Bank, and the couple married in October 1958, in Phoenix. He worked for government organizations, moving to California, Japan, Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada before returning to Arizona after his retirement from the Bureau of Reclamation in 1986. Following his retirement, the couple moved to Prescott and then settled in Sun City West in 1994. They did extensive traveling, and Ken especially enjoyed RV travel and cruises to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico. In retirement, he taught computer classes for the Sun City West Recreation Center and was a member of the community's Iowa Club. Ken was an avid golfer and a skilled cook. He was known for his sense of humor, and had a particular weakness for puns. A "people person," he maintained lifelong contact with childhood friends, former co-workers and long-ago neighbors. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Faye Merrick; children Steve (Chris) Merrick of Huntington Beach, CA, Karen (Scott) Kurtz of Greensboro, NC, and Darrell (Debbie) Merrick of Phoenix; and his sister, Jean Smith of Des Moines, IA. He was preceded in death by his brother, Milford Lewis. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 11 am, at Old Paths Cemetery, 14202 N. 73rd Ave., Peoria. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Hospice Family Care, 1550 S. Alma School Road, Ste. 102, Mesa, AZ 85210.