James Merz

1936 - 2020

When James (Jim) William Merz was a little boy, his grandparents nicknamed him "Jimmy come lately" because he was always running behind. As an adult, he would often joke that he would end up being late to his own funeral. It is therefore fitting that his obituary was five years in the making.

Jim was born in Belfast, Maine, to Albert Arthur Merz and Violet Lee (Bowling) Merz on March 27, 1936. The family afterward moved halfway across the country to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After graduating from Classen High School (Class of 1954) where he played football, Jim proudly joined the U.S. Marine Corps (active duty 1954-1957 and reserve duty 1957-1972). After serving as a Drill Sergeant at Parris Island, South Carolina, he returned to Oklahoma and attended Tulsa University (TU). It was as a freshman there in 1957 that he met a bright young woman, Mary Ann Kite. Jim went on to earn his JD from the TU College of Law in 1963.

Jim and Mary Ann married on February 2, 1963, and moved to Norman, Oklahoma. They eventually settled in a home on Weatherford Drive where he and Mary Ann created a gathering place where friends, family and neighbors always felt welcome. Jim and Mary Ann had two children, Shane, born in 1966, and Melissa, born in 1967.

Jim was immensely dedicated to the practice of law. He first joined an established firm but soon thereafter opened his own practice in Oklahoma City (active until the day he died). Jim's clients benefitted from his encyclopedic knowledge of the law, his strong work ethic and his dedication to the welfare of his clients. Jim was a man of insatiable curiosity. On family vacations, he often could be found reading a history book in the hotel room while the kids were at the pool with their mom. The household set of the World Book Encyclopedia would often find its way to his reading chair whenever he got curious about something and he kept his kids retrieving volume after volume on a nightly basis. Despite his serious nature, Jim had a wicked sense of humor and laced conversations with expressions such as "That's mighty bold talk for a one-eyed fat man". Jim also loved OU football and had a real passion for westerns and war movies.

When Mary Ann – his wife of nearly 40 years – passed away in 2002 after a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis, Jim's heart was no doubt broken. Yet he honored her every day by supporting their children, cherishing their shared memories and carrying forward her love of education and her defining characteristics of compassion and perseverance.

Jim died peacefully at the age of 84 on October 5, 2020. He is survived by his son, Shane Merz, of Houston, Texas, and daughter, Melissa Merz, of Norman, Oklahoma.