William H. Merwin, Sr., passed from this life on August 19, 2015 in Houston, TX. Bill, or “Paw Paw” as he was known to his family, was 86 years old. He lived a full life and was a loving husband and father.
Bill was born and raised in Knoxville, TN where he attended Young High School. He served 2 years in the US Army as a jeep driver for officers of the Occupation Forces in Germany during the Korean War. He then attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He worked as an Industrial Engineer for Western Electric in Winston-Salem, NC for most of his career.
He took early retirement to start his own business which was named “Merwin Enterprises”. This was an automotive body shop that specialized in classic cars and affordable repairs. He also taught the body shop course at Forsythe Tech for many years. He was an avid classic car collector, especially Ford and Lincoln products. He was especially proud of his “treasure”, which was a 1946 Lincoln Mark I Continental. After retiring from Merwin Enterprises, Bill moved to Houston, TX to be near his daughter, Janice Lanier.
Bill is survived by: his wife, Jean Love Merwin; his three children, William Merwin, Jr., MD, of Knoxville, TN, Richard Merwin of Apex, NC and Jan Lanier of Houston, TX; his 9 grandchildren, Emily Merwin, William Merwin, III, Catherine Merwin, Molly Merwin, Alex Merwin, Grace Merwin, Brandon Lanier, Bryson Lanier, Christopher Lanier; and two great grandchildren, Tessa Lanier and Evan Lanier.
A small memorial service was held for immediate family in Houston, TX on August 22, 2015 at the Katy Funeral Home in Katy, TX. A graveside service and reception is planned at the McNutt family graveyard near 2821 Riverside Drive in Knoxville, TN for October 17, 2015. For further information, please contact William H. Merwin, Jr. MD (865) 556-8786.
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