Merrill R. Sipes

On January 9, 2019, Merrill R. Sipes went to his final resting place after a valiant battle with cancer. Born the son of Maurice E. & Maxeal E. (Carlock) Sipes in Galion, Ohio on September 1, 1943, he is survived by his wife, Barbara (Garverick) Sipes; two sons, Brandon E. (Karen) Sipes and Jason A. (Karin) Sipes; four grandchildren, Brandon E. (Rachel) Sipes II, Adam D. Sipes, Ryan J, Sipes, and Mattisyn R. Womeldorf; stepmother (Adeline P. Sipes); eight nieces and nephews, and 14 great nieces & great nephews. Merrill was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Max (Linda) E. Sipes, and his sister Maurita (Fred) G. Martin. Merrill resided in Galion, Ohio until 1961, at which time he moved to Columbus, where he remained. Over the years, Merrill served as Choir Director and organist at several churches in the Galion and Columbus areas. He also gave piano lessons from time to time. Merrill attended Capital University, where he played in the marching band. Upon leaving Capital University, Merrill was employed in several Architectural/Engineering offices throughout the years, settling at MS Consultants, where he served as a traffic draftsman/designer for 16 years until his retirement in 2007. Merrill was a man of many interests. He was fond of “Old Timey” music. He sang with the Buckeye Chapter of the “Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America” for a number of years, and was a member of “The Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society” as a devoted fan of Dixieland and early style jazz. His musical interests also included Classic Country and Southern Gospel. Among his other interests, he had a sizeable collection of “Cowboy” and Old West movies, and a formidable collection of baseball caps procured from many of the places he visited over the years. Merrill loved lighthouses and one entire room in Merrill and Barb’s home is devoted to maritime related decor, which includes ceramic miniatures, photos, paintings, etc. He was also a collector of special types of US coins. Merrill liked to work puzzles, both crossword and Jigsaw. In his younger years, Merrill was an avid huntsman of rabbits and deer, a trait he handed down to his grandsons. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping and boating. He also enjoyed woodworking and flower gardening. Merrill liked to travel as much as possible. Among his and Barb’s travel ventures were Hawaii, Cancun, England, Scotland, Aruba, St. Croix, and the Bahamas; along with 7 OSU football bowl games. As he was growing up, he was a member of Ebenezer Methodist church in the Galion area, then St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Columbus. Calling hours for Merrill will be at the Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home, 515 High St., Worthington, OH 43085 on Sunday, January 13, 2019, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm and 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The funeral service will be Monday, January 14, 2019, at 10:00am, presided by The Reverend Roger Au of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. Interment will be at Kingwood Memorial Park located at 8230 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center, OH 43035. In lieu of flowers, the deceased (and family) would prefer donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Hospital.

Merrill R. Sipes

September 1, 1943 - January 9, 2019