Merrill E. Towne Sr.

Merrill Everest Towne Sr., 80, of Morrisville died peacefully Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, at Copley Hospital with his family by his side.

He was born in Morrisville March 7, 1934, son of Everest Raymond “Stub” Towne and Helen Irene Miller Towne. He was a 1953 graduate of Peoples Academy and served in the U.S. Air Force in Greenland and England during the Korean War.

Merrill was a jack-of-all trades and worked in many vocations through the years, including stints with H.A. Manosh and O’Neal Demars; Ward’s Auto Repair; Rowell Brothers; and worked most recently with Fisher Auto Parts until August 2013.

He also worked for many years on the Towne family farm and was proud to have been recognized for having the highest official producing Holsteins in 1980 by the Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Lamoille County.

He enjoyed playing poker and was an avid NASCAR fan; Rusty Wallace was his favorite driver. At one time, Merrill raced snowmobiles sponsored by Howard Manosh and also worked on snowmobiles.

He enjoyed hunting but didn’t enjoy helping Shorty drag his deer out.

He had made several trips to Charleston, S.C., to help restore the home of his sister Helen, and enjoyed going out to breakfast with Hezzy.

Survivors include his children, Lorraine Towne-Cavarretta and husband Paul of Elmore, Merrill “Shorty” Towne Jr. and companion Amy Haders of Elmore, Marjorie Churchill and husband Jeffrey of Morrisville, and Patrick Towne and wife Aimee of Morrisville; his grandchildren, Adam and husband Michael, Samantha and husband Rick, Benjamin, Abigail Jane, Jennifer, Sarah, John, Sophia, Xavier, Cameron and Lucy; two great-grandchildren, Aaliyah and Brandon “The Governor”; his former wife, Jane Rooney Towne, whom he married Dec. 13, 1958; his siblings, Nina Allaire of Morrisville, Claire Jordick of Morrisville, Roberta Rudavsky and husband Frank of Punta Gorda, Fla., Clarence “Hezzy” Towne and partner Clover of Morrisville, Helen Page and husband Ridler “Buzz” of Punta Gorda, Fla., S. Brown Richardson and wife Jane of Burlington, and Stacey Washer and husband Jason of Morrisville; and several nieces and nephews.

His parents died earlier, as did a sister, Ann Darrah, and longtime companion Laura Lanpher.

The funeral will be Friday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. at the First Congregational Church in Morrisville. Burial, with military honors, will be in the Wheeler Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Faith Funeral Home, 165 Brooklyn St., Morrisville. To send online condolences: faithfh.net.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Merrill Towne’s memory may be made to Lamoille Home Health and Hospice, 54 Farr Ave., Morrisville, VT 05661.