Lake Leelanau - Edward Paul Merica, 90, of Lake Leelanau, passed away Sunday, April 25, 2021 at home after a short illness.

Ed was born July 23, 1930 in Chicago, the son of Arnold and Katherine (Wellmuth) Merica. He graduated from Leo High School in Chicago and attended Notre Dame University on a baseball scholarship. He received his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois. There he met a reference desk librarian named Barbara Schleichert. They married on June 12, 1954 at St. Agnes Church in Chicago.

Ed and Barb moved to Midland where Ed was a research chemist at Dow Chemical, working with detergents, jet engine oils and explosives. During his career there, the company was awarded 52 patents.

In 1964 they bought a farm in Lake Leelanau. He was a cherry farmer for the next 57 years, as well as maintaining a large garden every year. He served as president of the Leelanau Fruit Company for many years in the mid 1970's. His scientific inclinations led him to experiment with different cherry varieties and farming methods to increase yields. He reduced the size of his farm while in his sixties. He began working part-time at the BP station in Lake Leelanau at the age of 70, continuing there until he was eighty years old. In 2020, Ed quit farming entirely, personally removing his last two cherry orchards with his bulldozer.

Ed's Catholic faith was his strength. He joined the Knights of Columbus while living in Midland and helped start the K of C council at St. Mary Parish in Lake Leelanau. He served on various committees for the parish and diocese, including serving on committees with, then Bishop, Cardinal Cardinal Szoka.

St. Mary School held a special place in Ed's heart. He filled many roles over the years, serving as school board president, athletic director, girls softball coach, boys and girls basketball coach and assistant baseball coach, often coaching multiple teams at the same time. He won four consecutive district championships with the boys basketball teams of 1970-1973 and was immensely pleased to see the Eagles bring the boys district championship back to St. Mary in 2021, ending a 48-year drought.

Ed loved fastpitch softball. He played on teams in Midland and Traverse City, pitching until he was 58 years old, occasionally striking out men less than half his age. He personally taught several female athletes how to pitch, with some of them going on to successful college careers, and always liked to watch college softball on television. He was a loyal Detroit Pistons fan. He loved bluegrass music and played mandolin, banjo and fiddle accompanying his favorite bands via CDs.

Ed was quick to lend a hand whenever help was needed, often quietly and behind the scenes, never expecting anything in return. He appreciated the many wonderful people he had the opportunity to work with over the years. Ed was a good and kind man whose life was an example of how life should be lived.

What Ed loved most was his family, especially his wife of 64 years, Barb, whom he cared for through the many health challenges she experienced during her life, including a stroke in her later years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Katherine Merica; his wife, Barbara; and daughters, Barbara in 1966 and Ellen in 1975; and son-in-law, Wayne Goodfallow.

He will be missed and lovingly remembered by his children, John (Nan), of Traverse City, Paul (Peg), of Ann Arbor, Jeanne and Rosanne (John) Wanamaker, both of Lake Leelanau; grandchildren, Dr. Jillian Merica, of Durham, N.C., Paul Merica Jr, of Ypsilanti, Dominic (Lexi), of Chicago, Gregory and Kenneth Merica, of Traverse City; and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Friday, April 30 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at St. Mary Church in Lake Leelanau. The rosary with be prayed at 7:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be held Saturday, May 1, at 11:00 a.m. also at St. Mary Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Lake Leelanau St. Mary School Development Fund, P.O. Box 340, Lake Leelanau, MI 49653.

Please share condolences with Edward's family at www.martinson.info.

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.