Merwin W. Smith

1928 - 2016

Passed away November 3, 2016 at St Paul Health Center. Merwin was 88. Born May 5th, 1928 in Billings, Montana, Merwin spent his early years in Wyoming and Northern Colorado where his father was a chemist for Great Western Sugar. Merwin graduated from the Colorado College of Education, now UNC, in Greeley and began his broadcast career in 1948 at KYOU in Greeley. His young career was interrupted when he entered the Army during the Korean conflict was posted to Tokyo working for the Far East network. After the Army he briefly went to WKBW in Buffalo as a staff announcer, soon returning to Colorado to work at KFEL radio and the new KFEL TV Channel 2 in Denver. While in Buffalo, Merwin met his late wife Diane on a blind date in 1953 in Buffalo, NY. She followed Merwin to Denver, and they married on October 1, 1955. After leaving channel 2, Merwin went to KLZ radio and TV where he spent over 20 years performing numerous duties including weekend weather on Channel 7. During this time he was also the voice of Coors Beer. He later lent his voice and talent as a narrator to Talking Books, reading more than 465 books, for which he was honored with the prestigious Alexander Scourby Narrator of the year award from the American Federation for the Blind. Merwin is survived by his son Mark, daughter Carole, and grandsons Paul, Harris, and Ryan. Memorial services will be held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Denver, Monday, December 5th at 11:00 AM.