John Merrell

John Merrell, 60, lost his hard-fought battle with ALS on May 17th, 2023 surrounded by his loving wife and children. John was predeceased by his parents, William and Mary Merrell; brother, Christopher Merrell; sister-in-law, Ruthann Merrell; and in-laws, Les and Sue Ferris. He is survived by the love of his life for nearly 33 years, Debbie; children, Hannah Merrell (Ryder Paugh); Matthew and Michaela Merrell; and Nicholas Merrell; siblings, Mark (Jean); Kevin (Patty); Allan; Dave; and Suzanne; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, the Ferris Family, and numerous special friends. John was a member of Harpursville’s class of 1981 where he was a triathlete and created friendships that have lasted for more than 55 years. John was a renaissance man. Working in the grocery business, delivering bread and chips in the wee hours of the morning, and most recently delivering mail to Endicott residents, he always gained the respect of his co-workers and easily made friends with people in the community. When not working hard for his family, he spent his time supporting his children in their various activities, including being a Town of Conklin youth sports coach. Additionally, John played in the City of Binghamton softball league for several years and partook in a round of golf from time to time. He took pride in being a handy man and was a master at bringing his wife’s home improvement ideas to life. He also had an amazing ability to fix anything, always relying on his favorite tool, Duct Tape. In recent years, John created numerous corn hole games which his family and friends spent countless hours playing. John was fond of hosting parties in his backyard, weekly “family” game nights, and the annual Merrell-thon. John will always be remembered for his quick wit, sense of humor, perfect comedic timing, and making people feel better when they were having a bad day by simply giving them a hug and saying it will be okay; something that ALS couldn’t take from him. Special thanks to John’s friends and family for showing him love, kindness, support, and what true friendship is all about.

 Funeral services will be held 11:00 am Monday at the Hopler & Eschbach Funeral Home, 483 Chenango St. Binghamton. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:00 – 5:00 pm Sunday. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to the Upstate ALS Association, or gather with family and friends to play games and celebrate the wonderful life and legacy of John FN Merrell.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Merrell, please visit our floral store.