Merritt B. Cutten

1942 - 2025

Merritt B. Cutten
11/26/1942 - 07/24/2025

Thanksgiving Day 1942 was made especially memorable with the birth of the first child of Merritt E. and Pauline Wood Cutten in Albany, NY. Following family tradition, the child, a son, was named Merritt Bates.
Merritt was raised in Los Gatos after the family relocated to his father's home state of California by his father's employer. The late 1940's – early 1950's Los Gatos was where Merritt lived the joy of childhood as only a boy and his friends, all on bikes, could muster. Boarding school in the mountains of Utah fostered a new set of friends and personal independence. He graduated Wasatch Academy, class of 1961 and was accepted at UOP to pursue a BA in Political Science and a CA lifetime teaching credential while pledging Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. Merritt's college friends have sustained him throughout his life. After graduation he was drafted into the U.S. Army proudly serving in the Signal Corps, 1967 – 1969.
Upon honorable discharge he decided to change his career direction which was accomplished with a BS in Graphic Communications from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1976, followed by a 20-year career in print estimating and purchasing.
In the mid-1990's Merritt circled back to teaching U.S. Government, computer skills and personal finance at Mercy High School, San Francisco retiring in 2014.
Throughout his life, Merritt kept his vast music collection, harmonica, cameras, and paint brushes close, pursuing a successful final act as an accomplished water color artist.
Merritt enjoyed a successful 54-year marriage with Barbara (Kennedy) with whom he explored many shared interests in camping, cinema, entertaining family and friends, and listening to music of all genres. Both partners are profoundly grateful that God and life brought them together.
Surprising everyone, including themselves, they pulled up stakes and moved from San Francisco to SLO in 2021 where Merritt immediately joined the Central Coast Water Color Society allowing his painting style to continue to evolve along with new friendships.
In February, 2025 Merritt was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Hospice care was begun one week prior to his passing peacefully, at home, in the quiet hours of July 24th. His immediate family had the good fortune to interact and care for Merritt throughout his illness.
Merritt is survived by his wife Barbara, and their children Amelia (Andres) of Capitola, Merritt Benjamin of Wofford Heights, and Ben's daughter Madeline of Davis; his sister Merlene Davis (Rick, deceased) of Washington and their children and grandchildren; step-brother Bill Bancroft (M'Lou, deceased) of Dallas, and their family, step-sister Toni Bancroft, of Australia, and step-sister Mary (Bancroft) Robins (John, deceased) of Menlo Park; sisters-in-law Karen Heesch (Red) of Atascadero and Kathleen Hickinbotham (Les) of Spring Creek, NV and their family; plus a multitude of friends both new and gold, shirt-tail cousins, and former students, from his 8-decade life and careers.
Merritt is preceded in death by his parents, step-parents, sister-in-law Elizabeth Kennedy (1957-2006) and his dearly loved brother, Charles Cutten (1948- 2004).
Merritt's family thanks the staff at Central Coast Home Health and Hospice (CCHH&H) for their caring kindness at the end of Merritt's life.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Merritt's memory be made to your preferred charity, CCHH&H SLO, or St. Anthony's, San Francisco.
A celebration of life will be held at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden on March 1, 2026, from 10:30 am – 1:30 pm.