Richard George Merkel

Richard (Rick) George Merkel was born in Hoboken, NJ on April 8, 1937. He served Honorably in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps as a Hospital Corpsman. In San Diego he worked for the City of San Diego in the Utilities Dept. He left the City in 1977 to start his own business as an Underground Utilities Contractor. He retired from his business in 2000. He and his wife, Barbara, moved to Prescott Valley, AZ in 2003. Rick loved anything western and was an avid reader of western books, history and movies. Rick's first concern was always his family, making sure they were always taken care of. In retirement he loved gardening, reading, cooking and taking naps. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, of 63 years; sons Randy, Jim, and David; Grandchildren Brittany, Danny, and Paden and two great grandchildren.