George R. Merlini Sr., a native of Lafferty, Ohio, a 60-year resident of Fairhope, and the son of the late Pete and Assunta Merlini, died on March 15, 2013.
Following his graduation from Lafferty High School, he enrolled in Marietta Business School, Marietta, Ohio. Completing the course, he worked in Cleveland until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
After completing basic training at Camp Peary Virginia, he was assigned to Station Crew, Welfare and Recreation Department on the Camp Peary base. His next assignment took him to the South Pacific area where he worked in the office of the Commander, South Pacific Area and Force (COMSOPAC), located in Noumea, New Caledonia. He was placed in charge of the office that handled secret and top secret correspondence and documents. The commander maintained offices aboard the USS Vincennes as well. The cruiser transported staff to the various islands in the South Pacific and returned to Noumea base when duty was completed.
Upon discharge from the Navy, he returned to Marietta and enrolled in Marietta College. During his junior year, he married Virginia “Judy” Rowland, a medical technologist from Columbus, Ohio. They vacationed in Magnolia Springs where her parents lived. They encouraged George and Judy to move to Baldwin County. Following his graduation from Marietta College, he applied for a teaching position at the Fairhope High School and began his teaching career there at the beginning of 1949-1950 school year. During his summer breaks, he furthered his education at the University of Alabama where he received an MA degree.
During his 38-year career in the Baldwin County School System, he held positions as teacher, assistant principal, Fairhope High School; principal, Fairhope Elementary/Junior High School; director of curriculum grades one through 12. For several years, he recruited, interviewed and recommended teacher candidates to the Board of Education for employment. For many years, he worked with the special education program on a county-wide level until a full-time supervisor was employed to direct the program. He retired in 1987 as assistant superintendent.
After his retirement, he continued to work as a volunteer with the Baldwin County Mental Health/Mental Retardation program. He was a member of the board, and for a period of time, served as president of the board of directors.
He worked as chairman of the Baldwin County Retired Educators Scholarship Committee since its inception. In 2007, the scholarship was named in his honor.
He was preceded in death by his wife Virginia “Judy” Merlini; and his son, George Raymond Merlini, Jr.; his parents, Pete and Assunta Merlini; brothers, James Merlini of Montgomery, Joe Merlini, of Lafferty, Ohio, sister-in-law, Anne Merlini of Montgomery; James Merlini Jr. of Montgomery. Survivors include his sisters-in-law, Mary Merlini of Barnesville, Ohio, and Viola Merlini of Clevland; nieces Bea Mary West of Columbus, Ohio, Judy Ringgold of Ashby, W. Va., and Wendy Shaffer of Ashley, Ohio; nephews, Douglas West of Fairhope, Richard Merlini of Boulder, Colo., James West of Columbus and Tom Merlini of Montgomery.
For the last years of his life, he resided at Westminster Village, Spanish Fort. A special thanks to Springhill hospice and Bay Bridge of Westminster.
Visitation begins at noon with funeral services at 1 p.m. Monday, March 18 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Fairhope. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens of Fairhope.
Arrangements are by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Fairhope. Online condolences may be made at www.wolfefuneralhomes.com.
