WEAVERVILLE – On Sunday, July 8, 2001, the doors of heaven opened wide to welcome Paul H. Merrigan of Weaverville.
Paul Hanley Merrigan was born Oct. 13, 1919, in West Orange, N.J., to Charles T. Merrigan and Genevieve Barry Merrigan. He was the seventh of eight children.
He was thrice decorated Marine staff sergeant serving under Gen. Lewis "Chesty" Puller on Guadalcanal during World War II. Paul was honorably discharged in September 1945. After the ware he worked for Ethyl Petroleum Co. He also wrote comedy bits for early radio programs in New York City.
In 1946, Paul married Ruth Sinon of Maplewood, N.J. They had two sons, Paul Frederick and Peter William, both born in East Orange, N.J.
In 1950 the family moved to New Hampshire where a daughter, Kathleen Elizabeth, was born in 1952. He owned and operated the Village Studio, a college-oriented gift shop in New London, N.H. Divorced in 1964, he married Ellen Campbell in 1965. He and Ellen ran the Village Studio together and enjoyed performing with the South Sutton Players, a community theatre group.
In 1979 he and Ellen retired to Weaverville where they enjoyed bird-watching and entertaining friends and family at their Allman Hill home. A loving husband, father, grandfather and a good neighbor to all, Paul will be dearly missed. The memory of his sparkling smile, his generous, loving spirit and the goodness of his heart will be cherished forever by those who had the good fortune to know him or even pass him on the street for he always had a smile and a kind word for everyone.
He leaves behind his wife, Ellen Louise: her children, Maxwell, Colin, Laura and Gavin Campbell; his son, Peter Merrigan; daughter, Kathleen Merrigan; and grandchildren, Travis Merrigan, Emmy Abel, Erin Merrigan Trent and Bryan Merrigan.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate his life at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Paul's name to Mountain Area Hospice, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813 where he received loving care during the last months of his life.