James Dennis Merrill

JAMES D. MERRILL (JIM), 65, OF ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FLORIDA PASSED AWAY AFTER A VALIANT AND DIFFICULT FIGHT AGAINST CANCER ON NOVEMBER 7, 2022, WITH HIS WIFE AND SON AT HIS SIDE. JIM WAS BORN IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND ON AUGUST 24, 1957, AS THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE, TO RICHARD AND BARBARA MERRILL. JIM WAS A MAN OF UNENDING TALENTS. THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING HE COULD NOT FIX, CREATE OR INVISION. HE WAS A HARDWORKING MAN HIS ENTIRE LIFE. WORKED HARD AND PLAYED HARD. IN HIS YOUNGER DAYS HE RACED GO KARTS, MOTORCYCLES AND LOVED SKING. HE EVEN LEARNED HOW TO RIDE A SINGLE WHEELED BIKE JUST FOR FUN. HE WAS A MECHANIC BY TRADE AND LATER HAD HIS OWN LANDSCAPING SERVICE UNTIL HE SOLD IT TO PURSUE HIS LOVE OF MUSIC. IN THE EARLY 1970’S ALONG WITH HIS BROTHER RICK THEY PLAYED ACCOUSTIC GUITAR IN SMALL BARS AROUND TOWN. AS THEIR REPUTATION GREW, THEY EXPANDED THAT TALENT TO BECOME THE ROCK GROUP KNOWN AS “THE MERRILL BROTHER’S BAND”. THEIR HARMONIES BROUGHT LIFE TO THEIR MUSIC AND WERE WRITTEN ABOUT IN MANY A MUSIC REVIEW THRU THE YEAR. BECAUSE OF THEIR INCREDIBLE HARMONIES, THEY OPENED FOR BANDS OF THE TIME, SUCH AS AMERICA, FIREFALL, JOHN SEBASTIAN, MITCH RYDER, NANTUCKET AS WELL AS BEING IN CONSTANT DEMAND TO PLAY FOR LOCAL CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS. AS TIME WENT ON, THEY WERE JOINED BY BROTHER DAVID. JIM HAD TO END HIS MUSIC CAREER AFTER FIVE YEARS PLAYING AT MARGARITAVILLE WHEN HIS VISION LOSS PREVENTED HIM FROM BEING ABLE TO DRIVE. JIM HAD A GENETIC EYE DISEASE CALLED RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA. BUT IT NEVER STOPPED HIM FROM FINDING OTHER WAYS TO EXPRESS HIMSELF. HE NEVER LET HIS VISION LOSS STOP HIM FROM DEVELOPING A LOVE FOR GROWING ORCHIDS AND HAVING ONE OF THE NICEST YARDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. HE LOVED TO WORK WITH HIS HANDS AND DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR WOOD WORKING. YOU WOULD ALWAYS FIND THE GARAGE DOOR UP AND JIM WORKING ON SOME KIND OF PROJECT OR JOB. HE BUILT FUNCTIONAL THINGS, BUT HIS GREAT LOVE WAS CREATING AND DESIGNING HIS OWN. HE SHARED THAT TALENT AS GIFTS TO FAMILY & FRIENDS THROUGH THE YEARS WITH HAND MADE BOAT SHELVES, BOOKCASES, TABLES AND MOST RECENTLY RESTORED A FRIEND’S BOAT AND HIS WORK WAS PUBLISHED IN WOOD BOAT MAGAZINE. SO MUCH TALENT, SO MUCH BRILLIANCE HAS BEEN TAKE FROM US TOO SOON. IN ADDITION TO HIS PARENTS, JIM ALSO LOST HIS BROTHER DAVID. HE IS LOVED AND REMEMBERED FROM THIS DAY FORWARD BY HIS WIFE LYNNE (COTO) MERRILL, SON JAMES (JAMIE) MERRILL, DAUGHTER N LAW SHANNON (BATES) MERRILL AND ADORED GRANDSON, CALEB JAMES MERRILL, HIS BROTHER RICK, AND SISTERS SALLY & LAURIE AS WELL AS NIECES AND NEPHEWS, WHO HE WAS DEVOTED TO AND SHARED MEMORIES WITH. A CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE WILL BE HELD FOR JIM ON NOVEMBER 19TH 2022 AT 2PM IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, WE ASK THAT A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CANCER SOCIETY BE MADE IN HIS HONOR AND ALL THOSE WE LOVE WHO FIGHT THE FIGHT. TO THOSE WHO WISH TO ATTEND THE SERVICE, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE A SPECIAL MOMENT THAT YOU HAD WITH JIM.

James Dennis Merrill

August 24, 1957 - November 7, 2022