William “Bill” Merriman

Bill Merriman, age 84, 54-year Westerville resident, passed away Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Born in 1941 in Flint, Michigan he was predeceased by parents, Frank and Marguerite Merriman, sister, Jeanne Gibbs, daughter, Deborah King and son, Michael Merriman. Survived by his wife of 64 years, Harriet Merriman; sister, Frances Merriman of Westerville; sister-in-law, Ann (Jim) Davidson; son-in-law, Kyle (Jill) King of Columbus; grandsons, Griffin King and Jason King of Columbus.
Bill graduated from Orrville (Ohio) High School in 1959, and earned an B.S. in Education in 1963 and a M.A. in Political Science in 1983 from Ohio State University and an M.S. in Journalism, from Northwestern University in 1963. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1963-1969. His career in journalism began as a sportswriter at Flint (Mich.) Journal. He later became the politics editor at the Canton (Ohio) Repository and from 1966-1975 as Ohio Statehouse correspondent for Brush- Moore Newspaper in Canton, Marion, Portsmouth, Steubenville, East Liverpool and Salem and for Scripps-Howard Newspapers in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
Later, Bill was the Ohio State University director of communication services from 1975-1979 and information officer and political advisor in the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation at Battelle Memorial Institute from 1979-1987.
He was the Assistant Professor of English at Olivet (Mich) College from 1988-1990 and Adjunct instructor at Otterbein College and Urbana University and OU Pickerington from 1987-2003.
Bill was a member of Westerville Rotary Club and was a 2009 Monroe Courtright Award recipient for Outstanding Service to the Westerville Community. He was also a member of Westerville Charter Review Commission in 1980, Concord Counseling Services board of directors from 1985-1988, and 1990-1995, Westerville Restoration Review Board from 1985-1987, President of Westerville Historical Society from 2007-2014; was instrumental in placement of Westerville's nationally significant Temperance Row Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, Otterbein "O" Club and a Presbyterian Elder and Deacon and a member of the American Legion Post 171.
No flowers, please. Instead, take a drive on the back roads of Ohio and enjoy the beauty of God's Creation or take a friend to lunch and enjoy the time together and share some laughs, as laughter is the best medicine.
A memorial graveside  service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Blendon Central Cemetery Cemetery, where burial follow.