Roger Cecil Merrifield

Roger C. Merrifield, 75, of Poulsbo, Washington, died at home on Thursday January 8th, after more than three-year struggle with pancreatic cancer. Roger was a much-loved and highly respected person with many friends. He will be greatly missed.

Roger was born in 1939, raised in Chicago, and graduated from Iowa State University in 1963 where he was in the ROTC and was President of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity when they received the Harvard Trophy for the best chapter in the US. Roger served as a supply officer in the US Navy and enjoyed a long career in Sales and Marketing in the laboratory products industry. Many of these years were spent in Toledo, Ohio, where Roger and his wife, Kay, raised their two children. In 1991, Roger retired from his long-time employer, Owens Illinois Corporation. Later, he was offered a position with Nalge Nunc International Corporation. His work with NNI provided an opportunity to live in Brussels, Belgium and later took him to Rochester, New York.

After retiring from NNI in 1998, Roger moved to the Seattle area, and soon thereafter met his second wife, Judi. They moved to Bainbridge Island, and later to Poulsbo. After moving to Bainbridge Island, Roger became involved with the Bainbridge Island chapter of Rotary Club. Roger served as President of the chapter in 2006 and In August of 2014, Roger was awarded the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.

Roger was an outgoing, socially active, and generous person who loved sports (especially football), the outdoors, gardening and home improvement, travel, history, and jazz. He was an excellent and enthusiastic dancer and had a gift for putting people at ease.

Roger is survived by his wife, Judi (Biggs) Merrifield: his brother, Fred Merrifield; his children, Jill (Merrifield) DeGreen and Todd Merrifield; step-son Casey Cambern; and grandchildren Sophie and Isabel DeGreen.

Donations in Rogers name may be made to Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island Scholarship Foundation at
scholarshipfoundation@bainbridgeislandrotary.org.