George R. Merrill of St. Michaels, MD was born on October 17, 1934, on Staten Island, NY and died on April 17, 2022. He was the son of Elliott Merrill and Irma Francisco.
An ordained Episcopal priest and graduate of the American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry, he served parishes in Connecticut and New York. While in CT, he was Chief of Chaplaincy Services for the state’s drug and alcohol rehab network while directing the Pastoral Counseling Services of the Hartford Council of Churches.
In 1973, he moved to Maryland and directed the Baltimore Pastoral Counseling Service. He was also an adjunct professor at Loyola College’s graduate pastoral counseling program.
A lifelong photographer, his photographs were exhibited in New York, Annapolis, Baltimore, and Easton. He loved sailing and cruised the Chesapeake Bay for many years with his wife, Jo.
He moved to the Eastern Shore in 1990, and for the past several years, he conducted workshops in Life Review through the Academy for Life Long Learning, volunteered with Talbot Mentors and the Talbot Hospice Foundation.
His passion for creative expression through words led him into a career in writing. His essays were read on Delmarva Public Radio, published in The Talbot Spy, and in book form “The Bay of the Mother of God.”
He is survived by his wife, Jo; his children, Jennifer, Craig (Brenda); stepchildren, Paul Betz (Kate), Jody Eber (Mark) and his nine grandchildren, Christopher, Patrick and Kevin Merrill, Maizie and Kieran Betz, Graeme, Leighton, Winnie and Hildry Eber; his great granddaughter, Charley; his sister, Lynn Peterson and his brother, Elliott Merrill.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Trinity Cathedral, 315 Goldsborough Street, Easton, MD at 11:00am on Thursday, April 21, 2022. The service will be live streamed. Link can be found at www.trinitycathedraleaston.com. Click WATCH LIVE.
In lieu of sending flowers to Trinity Cathedral, contributions may be made to the Talbot Interfaith Shelter or Talbot Hospice Foundation.
Keith Alan Watts says
For George . . . and The Merrill Family.
“And when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
“And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
“Now cracks a noble heart. — Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”
~ W. Shakespeare
Mona Curry says
Thank you for sharing George with us. His joys, sorrows and human observations were very inspiring. He will be missed.
Stephen Schaare says
George Merrill was a genuine treasure. His uncanny and delicious understanding of the human experience inspired self reflection and a desire to learn more about life.
With wisdom seldom seen and mastery of the written word, his essays were always comforting.
He will be sorely missed.
Thank you Sir, Steve
Bob Greenlee says
When you’re in the company of a truly decent man, you know it immediately. When he takes his valuable time to brilliantly share thoughts and life lessons, you know to pay attention. He always found his pulpit. Well done George … thank you!