Merrill H. Rathbun

MERRILL H. RATHBUN died quietly in his sleep at Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Home on September 6th. He was born February 8, 1929 in Norwich, CT to H. Lloyd Rathbun and Edith E. (Pervis) Rathbun. He graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1947. He moved to Greenwich shortly thereafter where he met and married Carmen Wassman after accepting a job as a bicycle courier with Western Union in White Plains, NY. Merrill worked as a carpenter with his father-in-law before becoming a salesman, selling World Book Encyclopedia door to door. After a few years, he returned to his career as a self employed carpenter contractor. Merrill took great pride in his craftsmanship which was demonstrated in the quality of his work and his ability to connect on a personal level with all of his customers. Merrill was a member of First Lutheran Church of Greenwich where his skills as a tradesman were often utilized. In addition to his working career, Merrill found great joy, satisfaction and interest in collecting rocks and minerals and creating jewelry from minerals found on his rock collecting trips. He was a member of the Stamford Mineralogical Society for many years. Merrill was also passionate about seeing America by car and took numerous cross country trips with his family. He and Carmen especially enjoyed the memories and experiences from their two trips to Alaska, the second of which they drove a van all the way there and back. Merrill and Carmen drove to 49 states and only missed Hawaii because "they couldn't drive all the way there." Merrill was predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Carmen R. (Wassman) Rathbun in 2002, his parents, his brother Harvey L. Rathbun, and his sister Esther E. (Rathbun) Brockway. He is survived by four children: daughter Cheryl L. Dorazio and her husband Tony of Riverside, daughter Cynthia D. Schroer and her husband David of Stamford, son Steven M. Rathbun and his longtime girlfriend Annie Maher of Milford, and son Darryl T. Rathbun and his wife Tracey Marshall of Atlanta, Georgia. He is also survived by six grandchildren - Carrie (Dorazio) Gross of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; David Dorazio of Seal Beach, California; Sarah Schroer of Stamford; Jason Rathbun of Tokyo, Japan; Christine Rathbun of Greenwich; and Jesse Rathbun of Greenwich - and one great-grandson, Jeremiah Smith of Greenwich. Calling hours are Sunday, September 11th from 3pm to 7pm at the Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 31 Arch Street, Greenwich. The Funeral Service will be at 11am Monday, September 12th at First Lutheran Church, 38 Field Point Road, Greenwich. Internment will be at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich. Donations can be made in his memory to First Lutheran Church of Greenwich. To leave an online condolence please visit www.leopgallaghergreenwich.com "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed are those who live in the name of the Lord! "