Larry Merkley
April 12, 1943 – May 22, 2016
Larry Merkley, age 73, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Sunday, May 22, due to complications following a ruptured brain aneurysm. He was born April 12, 1943 in Magrath, Alberta to Calvin and Verona Merkley. In 1967 he began his life’s greatest adventure, marrying his sweetheart, Beverly Hamilton. Theywere blessed with five children, splitting their time between Canada and the US in their nearly 49 years together. Larry’s varied career path, membership in the LDSchurch, and work in Alberta scouting organizations gave him many leadership opportunities. He began in the financial world, moved into the university academicworld of instruction and administration, failed retirement four times and enjoyed the consulting world for the past several years.
A great lover of music and books, mountains and waterfalls, travels and adventures, movies and ice cream, Larry especially enjoyed the people he worked with, andall he shared his life with. He was known as a man of integrity, curiosity, and a balance of high expectations and acceptance, with the ability to “create order out ofchaos,” always knowing “there were no small projects.” He taught his children from a young age that “it is more important to be kind than to be right.”
Larry began his employment with the U of L in 1981 as an assistant professor in the School of Management. He was promoted to associate professor in 1983 and then served as the University’s registrar beginning in 1988. Four years later, Larry was appointed the associate vice-president of administration. In 1996, hereturned to his duties as a management professor and retired in 2000. For the past several years, he did consulting work.
Larry is survived by his wife Bev, sister DiAnn Hirsche (Bruce), brother Al Merkley (Jeri), in-laws Judy Whitehead (Ritchie), Burke Hamilton (Marcene), DonaldHamilton (Elinor), and Denise Sugden (Richard). He will be forever loved and greatly missed by his children, David Merkley (Tammy), Melanie Lafranca (Steven),Valerie O’Barr (Kevin), LoraLee Laycock (Peter), Kim Leishman (Jesse), and by his grandchildren, Conner & Tyler Merkley, Natalie & Taylor Lafranca, Leah, Clara &Elsie O’Barr, Rayanne, Shelby & Anthony Laycock, and Talia, Mila & Declan Leishman.
We will be celebrating his life in a memorial service at a future date this summer at the LDS Chapel in Waterton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to theKiva organization (www.kiva.org), a favorite of Larry’s because it supports small business around the world.