BREWER and OTIS – Rufus A. Merrill Jr., 98, passed away Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at a Bangor hospital. He was born Feb. 28, 1909, in Wakefield, Mass., the son of Rufus A. Sr. and Helen M. (Eaton) Merrill. During World War II, Rufus worked at Electric Boat, Connecticut. He later moved to Brewer and attended St. Theresa’s Catholic Church and was a volunteer firefighter for Brewer in the ’40s and ’50s. After his retirement, he lived on Beech Hill Pond, Otis and was a communicant at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Ellsworth. Rufus was a past road commissioner in Otis and was an avid outdoorsman, having enjoyed hunting and fishing. He will be missed by many, especially the many people he helped in various ways around the Beech Hill Pond area. Rufus is survived by a son, Richard Merrill and his wife, Linda, of Orrington; daughter, Ann Sankey and her husband, Joel, of Brewer; daughter, Darleen Merrill of Falls Church, Va.; six grandchildren, Richard Merrill II, Amy Ouellette, Julie Merrill, Heather Attenweiler, Christopher Sankey and Pamela Mushero; five great-grandchildren, Abbi, Ian, Elizabeth, Jacob and Justin; several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Doris Rose (Baker); four brothers, John, Marshall, Benjamin and Charles Merrill; and sister, Marjory Bennett. A funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at Brookings-Smith, Clark Piper Chapel, 55 South Main St., Bre-wer, with Deacon Fred Harrigan officiating. Interment will be held in the spring at Calvary Cemetery, New Market, N.H. Those who wish to remember Rufus in a special way may make gifts in his memory to Beech Hill School Athletic Field Fund, Otis Town Hall, care of Laura Salisbury, 132 Otis Road, Otis, ME 04412. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.
RUFUS A. MERRILL JR.
