Roderic 'Rod' Eugene Merriman

Roderic "Rod" Eugene Merriman was born in Pana, Illinois, on February 21st, 1935 and passed away on January 1st, 2020 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the age of 84. Rod was raised in Pana by his parents, Paul and Teresa (Epley) Merriman along with his younger siblings Brian and Carolyn. Rod excelled in and enjoyed playing sports in high school and college and was a member of football, baseball and tennis teams. He attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois (and had quite the time from what we know!) graduating in 1957 with a bachelors degree in sales and marketing. After graduating from SIU, Rod enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in California. He returned to Illinois and began a career which spanned nearly 60 years in the commercial paper and janitorial supply industry. In 1960 Rod met Beth Nolan of Decatur, Illinois and they were married on October 28th, 1961. Rod and Beth had three children, son Roderic "Roddy" Steven, daughter Kimberly Ann and daughter Karen Lynne. Rod and his family resided in Illinois, Indiana, Texas and most recently in Colorado. Rod had a very close and special relationship with his only grandchild, Vanessa Salvas throughout his life. Rod never met a stranger and truly enjoyed visiting and chatting with his customers throughout his career. Teaching various business classes for many years at the local community college in Kingwood, Texas, brought great pleasure to "Professor Merriman" and provided a platform and captive audience to share his knowledge and experience. His storytelling and personal escapades were never ending (poor sapling!!). Rod was an avid outdoorsman, he especially loved Garden of the Gods Park and Yosemite National Park. He was an admirer of mountains, lakes, oceans and deserts. He visited all throughout his life. He fondly remembered one Fathers Day vacation with his daughters and granddaughter to Cabo San Lucas for a marlin fishing excursion. They tagged 3 marlin and lost another during their half day of deep-sea fishing. Rod proudly exclaimed "Not bad for an old man, two women and a kid", when they returned to shore. He was also a very strong advocate for his son. Rod attended Roddys Special Olympics events and was a great cheerleader and coach throughout the years. Rod (husband, daddy, and papa) will be deeply missed by family and friends. He is survived by his wife Beth, son Roddy, daughter Kimberly, daughter Karen and son-in-law Scott, granddaughter Vanessa and her husband Sean, brother Brian, sister Carolyn, brother-in-law Michael (Janet) and brother-in-law John (Gale). The Merriman family would like to thank Interim Healthcare Hospice for the comfort and care they provided to Rod and his family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Special Olympics or the National Park Foundation in memory of Rod. A celebration of Rods life will take place in Colorado Springs later this year. Service Information A service summary is not available