August 30th, 2017
“I have had a good life.” john merryman, III…Those were my late husband’s, John, words a few days before he passed away on August 31, 2013. I will keep this post short as he did not want his family to dwell on his passing. He wanted us to move forward and so we have, one foot in front of the other. I always say that 10% is what happens to you and the rest 90% is how you react. It does not matter how prepared we are for a loved one’s departure eternally from our side, it is still an adjustment.
Our friends mention him a lot. He was hard to forget. A dry sense of humor, quiet, and a true gentleman. My good friends are always at my side. Tomorrow they will be there, as well. We will have dinner and remember the good times we had with him. He was a foodie when the word was not even in the dictionary.
He loved Michael and John above all else. John is 33 and Michael is turning 30 on 9/4. Getting together with friends was priceless.
 
Our friends, Annie, Cathy, and Ron he would be so thankful for all the help they have given me.
One person that he would have enjoyed immensely would have been our granddaughter, Sophia. She is something else.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain….” So, life continues, as it should, one step at a time.
Note: Close to my heart is the research currently under way at Temple Health for Pulmonary Hypertension. If you have someone in need of help please contact Dr. Anjali Vaidya, MD, FACC, FASE, FACP, Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant 215-707-7636 or write anjali.vaidya@tuhs.temple.edu. If you would like to contribute, please contact Katie Beddis, Senior Director of Development, Medical Education and Research Building. 215-707-9459, or write Kbeddis@temple.edu. Ask for information and mention my name, Gloria Merryman.
August 31st, 2014
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. helen keller
My post starts tonight with those words because as many of you know, my husband, John Merryman, III passed away August 31, 2013. I remember saying…1 month…2 months, then, 6 months….and now it has been 12 months.
It is very hard for me to talk about John in the past when he is so much in our present. John would be happy of the things that we, as a family, have accomplished. I will leave it at that, since it is more private.
I have so many photos of John. He did not like his picture taken, but now that over the years I have done so, I am so happy. Some of them are pretty funny, and he would just shake his head if I put them here.
He, actually, did not want us to dwell on his passing. We miss him, so we do.
A few weeks ago, I came full circle. Mr. Ernest C. Raskauskas was in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Mr. Raskauskas hired John as a realtor back in 1977. John came to interview at the beach and the rest is history. John learned so much from this man….contract writing and real estate in general. Mr. Raskauskas was a trial lawyer in Washington, D.C. He is a philantropist, who has given his time, funds, and full heart to those causes that are dearest to him.
Back in the day his real estate company was called East Coast Resorts. They developed Bethany West, Bayberry Woods, and The Villas of Bethany West, among others developments. Many of the real estate companies started in Bethany at the time, were started by realtors that had worked for Mr. Raskauskas, including Tidewater Realty, which my husband started in 1988.
I saw Mr. Raskauskas on his visit to the beach and I asked him how he was and he answered “I am still here”. He is witty, so intelligent and the patriarch of a family of 9 children. Mrs. Raskauskas was the ultimate matriarch, as well.
John and I became part of their family. They treated us like their children.
I wanted to get together with him. His daughter, Annie, was John’s best friend, along with Jay. So I asked her if I could come to see him at her house. I brought food, and we celebrated John’s life. Our life, in Bethany started with him. It was so nice to visit and have dinner with him and remember “the good old days”.
Thanks to Mr. Raskauskas who picked the reading for the evening. Psalm 23 (King James Version)….The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want….
Just a few of us there….our friend, Carol, as well. She had known John for so many years too.
 Carol, Annie, Mr. R. Today, John, Michael, and I celebrated John’s life with our own ceremony….and then just like John would have wanted us to do we went to eat at the diner in downtown Bethany.
John’s prize possesion was his family….he loved Michael and John. He showed them how to ski, hunt, fish, play golf, baseball, and throw the lax ball. The three of them had a ball when skiing.
Now it is just the two of them….with me at their sides.
Putting one foot in front of the other, taking it easy and handling things just like John would have wanted us to do have made the path easier. So, until next time…..I can hear John saying…enough is enough, pleeeeease!! Talk to you later.
August 25th, 2014
My husband, John Merryman, III’s testimony before passing away last August 31st was that during over the 3 decades in Bethany Beach, Delaware, he had developed more than enough houses to know the business. He referred to Jeff Burton of Lane Builders as a consummate professional, easy to deal with and someone he was happy to be doing business with.
 
John and Jeff designed The Tidewater, a home that was to be built on Parkwood Street in Bethany Beach. The lots in Bethany are usually long and narrow, so a special house with plenty of bedrooms for a family and friends was born.
 
This house was within walking distance to the Town of Bethany; its beaches, boardwalk, shops and restaurants. It was located in a quiet street in Bethany. Instead of coming through the front door all wet, you could come from under the house and leave your beach belongings there.
Jeff Burton is the Managing Partner and President of Lane Builders, LLC, located at 1009 Kings Highway, Lewes, Delaware. Tel. 302-645-5555. Website? http://www.lanebuilders.com. You can also find Lane Builders on Facebook.
Upon John’s passing, we called Jeff and we also called the buyer who was from Northern Virginia. I cannot imagine their thoughts in having to then deal with the widow. Having been assured that the building was going to go as planned, they were confident in our ability to carry it through.
I am writing this post, which by the way, is very personal, since the year anniversary of John’s passing is around the corner. I wanted to tell you the kind of builder Jeff was for us. The first thing he said without hesitation was “I will make this process as easy as I can for you.” And, he did.
 Jeff Burton taking care of last minute details. Spiritually, John was guiding me through this process. I believe that.
The house turned out to be so nice. I met the owners on the day of the settlement when we were checking the house.
The floors were hand-scraped wood flooring, the tones of the house were soothing, lots of gray, white and blue on the walls and countertops.
The family is going to love having all those bedrooms and bathrooms. A spacious laundry room…a must!
 
I know that when the owners come up the stairs they will certainly enjoy the smooth flowing of their beach house. They are already enjoying it, along with everything Bethany Beach has to offer.
This family had been coming to Bethany for many years. They told me they were waiting for the right house….The Tidewater is going to be a place for rest and relaxation. Bethany Beach is a family resort. It is also known as The Quiet Resort.
Jeff Burton surprised me on that day. The Tidewater is going to be always The Tidewater; in memory of John. A home design that was their first one to be considered a preplanned home, custom built on your lot. You can see a more detailed description of this house if you click on http://www.lanebuilders.com.
I will probably not have any contact with the new owners. Our business is finished. But, this house will always hold a special place in my heart. John would have been so proud.
 
My testimony? I can’t say enough about Jeff Burton, his building partner, Keith Hastings, and their staff at Lane Builders. If you are planning on building or remodeling at the Delaware Beaches, please give them a call. You will not be disappointed.
Have a great day!
October 24th, 2013
Today I celebrate John’s life. My husband, John, passed away peacefully on August 31st. All the emotions are there; sadness, anger, and even relief for him.
John’s birthday was October 24th. This date is also our anniversay. I did not want him to forget it. He also would be mortified to be featured on my blog. This post is for me. He was private, conservative in his dressing and views, and had a very dry sense of humor.
John and I met in Puerto Rico in 1973 and nobody thought we would last. They would say “Gloria is dating a gringo”. No kidding, they never thought it would. The funny part is that we did and only a few that married at the time stayed together.
Life was, definitely, simpler then. John and I were so young; no worries, no responsibilities, and practically, no bills. This photo says it all. It was taken in 1975 in St. Thomas.
John lived in El Yunque, way inside the rainforest in Puerto Rico. The house was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright; all open with the jungle staring at you all the time.
 
We used to spend time with Louie who also lived even deeper into the rainforest, in a thatch roof hut that was out of a novel, collecting rare orchids and anthuriums.
When we moved from Puerto Rico, we chose the Delaware Beaches to live. We never lived away from the ocean. We really enjoyed it. Plus, we were just a few hours drive from Baltimore, Maryland, where John was from.
 Bethany Beach, 1977 We, actually, have 2 anniversaries; In Virginia and in Puerto Rico, married in different years.
Family, business, and responsibilities, then followed. And, plenty of friends along the way. He loved to hunt, golf, fish, ski, and the beach. John was the original “foodie”, when that word was not even part of the vocabulary. We showed Michael and John how to work the blue crabs early.
His passion was real estate and the company he founded in 1988, in Bethany Beach, was his baby. Tidewater Realty, Ltd. was a boutique style real estate firm catering to customers who appreciated personal and individual attention. He sold a lifestyle that was also his own.
John loved good craftmanship and one of the last things he wanted was a box to be made for his Mariner’s Compass, circa 1885. Scott Angelucci of Angelucci’s Fine Woodworking in Milford, Delaware, was commissioned by John to make the box.
 
The main wood is Tiger Maple. The dark trim and the dark wood on the compass rose is called wenge and grows in the Congo River. The lighter wood on the compass rose is yellow heart and grows in South America. The repeated inlad design is cherry, maple and walnut. Inside, the box is lined with velvet on the bottom and the rim is zebra wood, which grows in Africa. The box is gorgeous and John would have loved it.
I opened one of my Kind Notes and it said: “Gone from our sight, never from our hearts.”
I can close my eyes and turn the pages of my personal album. Forty years together is a lifetime. And John always said he had a good life. He had his family’s back and I had his back.
 
And, until we meet again…for now, it is one foot in front of the other.
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