Monte
Merrill, 42, died Feb. 9, 2010, at his home near Sutton.A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Palmer Seventh-day Adventist Church, just south of the fairgrounds on the Glenn Highway.
He was born July 29, 1967, in Redland, Ore., to Roger and Dianne (Ebner) Merrill.
He attended Fairhaven Academy in British Columbia and Country Haven Academy in Pasco, Wash., where he learned farming, auto body, greenhouse care and developed a love for good music. He attended Newbold College in England and traveled Europe extensively.
He worked for Red Dog Mine and helped construct the Job Corps Center in Palmer.
There were very few trades of which he did not have a working knowledge. He had his multi-engine rating and learned to love flying from his father, Roger, an accomplished Bush pilot.
He started Builders Bargains Inc. with one store in Palmer, which at one point grew to three stores in Fairbanks, Soldotna and Palmer.
He loved the majestic views of God’s creation and built his own home, which looks out across the Matanuska River to the mountains. Recognizing the need to change, he moved his business to a new location on the Parks Highway in Wasilla. He and his family frequently were featured in advertising for the company.
Monte met his wife in Oregon, and they were married Dec. 20, 1992. He and his precious wife were in love, and he cherished his two daughters, Hannah and Holly, immensely. Striving to operate his business in a way that honored God, he strove to give the best service to his customers, employees and suppliers.
He was to graduate from the SCS Business Leadership School this month. He loved interacting with customers and building lasting relationships. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, employees and customers. We look forward to seeing him on resurrection morning.
He is survived by his wife, Heather; daughters, Hannah and Holly; parents Roger and Dianne Merrill of Talkeetna; and sisters, Tiffany Reynolds of Curlew, Wash., and Brook Huestis of Chehalis, Wash.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Cremation Society of Alaska,
