August 30th, 2017

John Merryman, III, Husband, Father, Friend…Always will Celebrate his Life, Temple Health, Philadelphia, PA

“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.