Bob Merriam ~ 1937-2019
Bob and Liz Merriam
The shop is now officially closed, as Bob Merriam, well-loved Aptos Jr. High shop teacher passed away on October 16, 2019 at his home in Santa Cruz, surrounded by his family. Bob was born on November 29, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois to Charles J. and Kathryn (Cheney) Merriam. He moved with his mother to Santa Barbara when he was 6.
In the summer of 1962, before starting a job at Hot Rod Magazine, Bob came up to visit his sister Carol Bockman, and her husband Ted in Santa Cruz. Much to his surprise, after visiting Aptos Elementary School, he was offered and accepted a job teaching 7th and 8th grade students science, English and social studies.
Bob loved teaching and was an inventive teacher. He had students work with all kinds of natural resources surrounding the school. He joined a staff that included both his future wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Everton, and future mother in law, Verna Everton, who both taught at the school. Bob and Liz married on December 18, 1965. The staff of teachers became a close-knit group and taught together for many years.
When Aptos Junior High was built, Bob moved to the new school where he had an impressive shop, complete with a finishing room. Through his contacts in southern California, he was able to get engines and car parts for his students to work on. Bob helped students make skateboards, skimboards, waterskiis, clocks, cutting boards and many other useful woodshop projects.
Bob in the Aptos Jr. High workshop with students.
Bob also taught math, science, history, and drafting. Bob had a unique skill in working with kids and sharing knowledge in a way kids could understand. Aside from the regular curriculum, Bob taught students how to fix bikes, garbage disposals, just about anything mechanical. He was fortunate to keep in touch with many of his former students; and whenever he would see them, he loved to catch up on what they were doing.
Bob enjoyed every part of his life, both personal and professional. He loved cars, woodworking, and fixing things. His family considered him a MacGyver of sorts, having patched a motorhome radiator with Silly Putty on one trip as well as building the second story of the family home. Bob restored several cars, including a 1967 Jaguar E-Type convertible.
Bob and his family travelled every summer back to their family farm in Wisconsin and went waterskiing every summer at the Delta. Bob also introduced many friends and former students to the joy of waterskiing.
Bob Merriam with his family (from left): Chad, Suzy and wife Liz.
When Bob retired in 1995, he started the first of three businesses he would operate during retirement. Bob realized that that there was a need for antifreeze recycling in the County, so he built a machine on the back of his pickup truck that recycled anti-freeze. He would visit shops all over the county, recycle the antifreeze on site and sell it back to the shop. He would often pull into an auto repair business with a box of donuts to bring some extra cheer (and calories) to the crew.
Through a connection with Santa Cruz Skateboards, Bob created a second business called Mr. M’s World. He sold blank skateboard decks and accessories to school woodshops throughout the country and Canada so that kids could make their own Santa Cruz boards.
His final business was refurbishing and selling accessories for a torque-shift propeller after the propeller company closed down. Bob bought their extra inventory, and found a place that could remanufacture the replacement parts. People from all over the world who were devotees to this type of propeller purchased parts, which kept their boats running with a little extra power.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, brother Charles (Chuck) Merriam, and sister Dorothy (Merriam) Venolia. He is survived by his wife, Liz, his sister, Carol Bockman, his two children, Chad and Suzi Merriam as well as his grandchildren Sydney, Connor, Morgan, and his dogs Molly and Zack.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 30, 2019 at the Aptos Junior High Gym at 1 o’clock p.m.
The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, or Hearts and Hands Hospice.