To say Uncle Merrick will be missed would be disingenuous, truth is we are mostly waiting to see him speeding up the avenue in his white pickup or to hear his morning call.
Really though, not many people as loud as Uncle Merrick can be truly described as quiet.
A truly quiet person leaves behind a quiet void, a calm memory and humbled friends
“Maas wallie, pardie, CC, bloss, Mr Escofrie” any one or combination of these could be heard each morning as Uncle Merrick was sure to ensure that all the neighbours in his immediate circuit made it through the night.
Then as he drove down the road he would offer a drive to anyone who could hold in his faithful pickup truck. He greeted everyone by name as he passed. Uncle Merrick not only lived in Strathmore but made sure he was a part of the community.
He taught us all how to be good neighbours, he was genuine, kind, and simply an awesome person who was always willing to go the extra mile for everyone.
Uncle Merrick was proud of his children, he loved them dearly and grew them wonderfully; then he made himself personally responsible for all the children in the community. When we were young he taught us to be good children, when we grew up he taught us to be good adults.
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.
And so he plays his part, and today we play ours:
We are sad, we mourn when we lose someone we love but we celebrate because he has joined the church triumphant and has achieved the greatest reward. He has been called by God to be greater than he was on earth.
