Helping other people and being a paramedic was his greatest passion in life. Merlin was well known throughout the Northern Michigan EMS community for his desire to learn, and teach the newest trends in healthcare and recognition and treatment of cardiac emergencies. His name and his signature handle-bar mustache earned him the moniker "The Wizard."<br />
He was born in 1947 and worked in the family business during his school years. He graduated from high school in 1965 and attended Albion College where he received a bachelor's degree in 1969. He then went on to Spring Arbor College, receiving a degree in business management.<br />
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In 1977 he started his career in healthcare. Merlin originally wanted to be a doctor but decided to pursue a career in EMS. According to his friends, coworkers, and family, Merlin was always learning and keeping up with technology. While working as a paramedic and as a quality assurance coordinator he was furthering his education to one day become an instructor at North Central Michigan College. His knowledge of new technologies and their applications in EMS helped elevate the standard of care as he taught about STEMI and the pre-hospital use of 12-lead EKGs and implemented their use in the field. As a veteran paramedic, Merlin refused to rest on his laurels; instead he insisted on stepping it up a notch.<br />
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Aside from work, he and his wife, Jean, enjoyed traveling throughout the US with their English bulldogs, Jasmine and Tucker. He played the dulcimer and enjoyed learning about American history, and he loved ice cream. His use of technology wasn't all for work, he kept in touch with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren via text messaging and Facebook.<br />
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On February 13, 2011, while preparing a patient for transport to another hospital, Merlin was obtaining a report from a nurse in the emergency department. As he was gathering information about the transport he suddenly collapsed to the floor. His coworkers and the ER staff worked tirelessly to revive him. However, they were unsuccessful in their resuscitative efforts.<br />
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Through his efforts, many lives have been and will continue to be saved.<br />
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Honored 2012 |