John D. Merriam

A proud Leap Year baby, John David Merriam passed away on November 4, 2022. John was born in Fullerton, California in 1952. After graduating in the early 1970s, John enrolled at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, studying botany for several years prior to pursuing his career as a builder. He wed his wife, Susan, in 1979; in 1983, they bought a plot of land near Masonville and broke ground on a custom passive-solar home designed by John. Their daughter, Sonya, was born a month before they moved into the house, which included a small office for John’s construction business and a commercial kitchen for Susan’s bakery. The family lived in the small structure while John completed the house over the next three years; their son, Evan, joined the family a few years later. The family loved living together at the home, hosting holidays and many a party with family and friends. John and Susan planted over 200 trees at the homestead and took their stewardship and cultivation of the land seriously. John built custom homes throughout Fort Collins and the surrounding area until the late 1990s, when he started a concrete company that specialized in foundations at challenging rural and mountainous locations. He leveraged his building aptitude with his love for people and service, leading church youth mission trips and Habitat for Humanity trips with a desire to provide people with housing. Through Merriam Concrete, John and his team poured foundations for Habitat for Humanity homes all along the Front Range. A lifelong Christian, his faith provided the cornerstone for his life. He served as a church usher at Redeemer Lutheran Church’s early service for decades prior to going to his heavenly home; in fact, several of his friends lovingly nicknamed him “The Deacon.” John is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, their two kids and their kids’ partners, his sister and brother, his loving mother, and countless friends. His life is celebrated and honored by all who loved him. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite charity or to Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity. A celebration of life will be held on Monday, January 9, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church (7755 Greenstone Trail, Fort Collins, CO 80525) and will be a celebration, indeed; please wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt or classic rock t-shirt.