Robert Brent Merrifield

Robert Brent Merrifield Robert Brent Merrifield, 85 of Austin died suddenly on July 11, 2010. He was born in Coos Bay, Oregon, and reared in southern Nevada. He received his education at the University of Oregon and the University of Chicago where he earned his PhD in History. Bob lived most of his adult life in Virginia and Texas. Bob proudly served his country in both the World War II and the Korean Conflict. In 1951 he met and married the love of his life Lelia Ann Avery of Charles City, Virginia. His careers included a stint with the Central Intelligence Agency, historian at the Johnson Space Center, and Dean of Social Sciences at San Jacinto College South. He was the author of several books. He was very active in politics, serving on the water board, city council and as mayor of Nassau Bay, Texas. After his retirement, he and Lee Ann relocated to Austin where he was a volunteer for the Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic; a local hospital, the Manos de Cristo Food Pantry; the LBJ, City of Austin and Westbank Libraries; and Meals on Wheels. He was instrumental in establishing a collection of over 50,000 books and documents for the Texana Collection at San Jacinto College South. In 1998, the collection was named in his honor. Bob was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He served on the Session at Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Virginia, Clear Lake and Webster Presbyterian Churches in Texas. Bob is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lee Ann, as well as son, Robert Brent Merrifield, Jr. and his wife Golghotay "Goldi" Merrifield, daughter Margaret "Meg" Putman and her husband Houston Paul Putman, III , and son, Charles Avery Merrifield, and his wife Kimberly Kay Merrifield, granddaughters, Sarah Merrifield Farley and husband James Thomas Farley and great grandsons Jacob Luke and Christian Jake Farley, granddaughter Charlotte Peiffer de Garza and husband Eduardo Garza, granddaughter Bonnie French McCarty and husband William Jeffrey McCarty, grandsons, Charles Avery Merrifield, Jr., Wyatt Binns Merrifield, Colton Eric Merrifield, Alexander Merrifield Putman and Houston Paul "Skip" Putman, IV. He is also survived by his sisters Robin Jennings and Bonnie Weiss, brother LaRou Merrifield and sister-in-law Bonnie Avery Bugg as well as numerous nieces and nephews. A service celebrating Bob's life will be held at the Village at the Arboretum, 9306 Great Hills Trail in Austin, TX at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, 2010. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, or SmileTrain.com or a charity of your choice.