William E. Merritt

WEST BOYLSTON/HOLDEN
William E. "Bill" Merritt, 83, left us on Sunday, March 27, 2011 after a long struggle with lung cancer. He will now rest in peace beside Doris, his wife and life long partner of 61 years, who died on May 14, 2009.
He leaves four children, Cheryl Koleshis and her husband Stephen, Carolyn Rosling and her husband David, William Merritt and his wife Cynthia, and Edward Merritt and his wife Susan. He was very proud of his eleven grandchildren, Nicole, Johanna, Michael, Kristin, Melissa, Elizabeth, Rachel, Matthew, David, Kyle and Jonathan and five great-grandchildren, William, Ella, Audrey, Travis and Evan. He also leaves his sister, Lu Scarville and brother Richard Merritt. A sister, Patricia Fales, predeceased him.
Bill was born in West Boylston in 1927, son of Patrick and Mabel (Fitch) Mascitti and attended school there before he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After the war he was a member of the National Guard Reserves. Later he worked as a self-employed carpenter building and remodeling many homes in the Wachuestt area. When his sons were younger, he coached and refereed little league baseball. After retirement he had several part-time jobs, including designing kitchens and selling cabinets. Bill served on the Board of Directors of the West Boylston Historical Society and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2009. He is also a member of the Harold N. Keith American Legion Post %23204 in West Boylston.
As an avid sports fan, he attended both local and professional events. Bill especially enjoyed horse racing. As he and Doris traveled around the country, Bill always managed to include a racetrack or a casino into their itinerary. As the grandchildren became involved in sports and other activities, he frequently attended their games and events. When Bill was at a function, you always knew he was there. He had a great wealth of stories to tell, questions to ask, and advise to give. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.
A Celebration of His Life will be held Friday, April 1, 2011 at 11 AM in Fay Brothers Funeral Home, 1 West Boylston St., West Boylston. Burial will follow in Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Visiting Hours are Thursday, March 31 from 4 to 7 PM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made in Bill's name to, the West Boylston Historical Society, 65 Worcester St., PO Box 201, West Boylston, 01583. To place an on-line condolence, please visit www.faybrothers.com