John Allen Merriman

John Allen Merriman, 73, of Clive died at home on May 14, 2016 from complications of the cancers he had battled for over four years. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20, at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, in the chapel at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, with a luncheon immediately following the service at Des Moines Golf and Country Club. Survivors include John’s beloved wife of 25 years, Dr. Barbara Beatty; their son David Merriman, of whom he was extremely proud; one sister, Nancy Jo (Michael) Mishoe of Springfield, VA; sister-in-law, Dr. Jean (Dr. Selden) Spencer of Huxley, IA; brother-in-law, James (PJ) Beatty of West Des Moines; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. His parents preceded him in death.

John was born on August 13, 1942, in Knoxville, Iowa, the son of John W. and Doris (Henry) Merriman. From kindergarten on, he attended school in West Des Moines and graduated as valedictorian of the WDM Valley High School Class of 1960. Receiving a Chick Evans Scholarship allowed him to continue his education at Northwestern University, where he majored in Political Science and earned a B.A. with Honors in 1964. While attending Northwestern, he twice served as president of his Evans Scholars Chapter House and was selected as the 1963 national Evans Scholars Leader of the Year. Next up was a scholarship to the Columbia University School of Law in the City of New York, where he received his L.L.B. in 1967 and then returned to Des Moines to practice law. Along with his private law practice, John served for several years as a Lt. Commander, Judge Advocate General Corps, US Naval Reserve. In 1986, he was appointed Secretary and General Counsel of Equitable of Iowa Companies and continued in this role until his 1998 retirement.

For many years, John held leadership positions in the Iowa Republican Party including Polk County chairman, State Central Committee member, and delegate to the 1976 Republican National Convention. However in 2008 he shifted his political allegiance and became a proud supporter of President Obama. John strongly believed in civic duty and spent over four decades serving as an officer and/or director of numerous political, professional, social, and community service organizations. His 18 years of leadership with the Des Moines Symphony were especially meaningful to him. A voracious reader and movie buff, John amassed a large library and DVD collection. He traveled extensively including several memorable trips with extended family members and close friends. For almost 65 years, he played golf whenever possible and was a member of Des Moines Golf & Country Club for nearly 50 years. Among his golf accomplishments were two holes-in-one although as he saw it, he never realized his full golf potential. Throughout his life, he exercised daily and during the 1980s completed several distance running events.

John's serious presence could be commanding and intimidating to some, belying his quick wit and sense of humor. And he could be quite the cantankerous character, especially during his travels with Barb and David. He offended more than a few great chefs with his requests for ketchup and tartar sauce. On road trips, John frequently "critiqued" other drivers by honking, swearing, and even giving the occasional Italian salute. Of course, in true male fashion, John balked at studying maps or asking for directions. This shortcoming often led to highway high jinx. In 2005, the Merriman family never found the site of the Salem witch trials but finally happened upon Mel's Convenience Store and, eventually, I-95 again. John was a great conversationalist and could get lost in a stimulating tete-a-tete. At the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Australia, he met a fellow American in the coffee line. Steve Lochte and John talked for quite a while. Little did John know that Barb and David would have loved to join in because Steve Lochte is the father of swimming superstar Ryan Lochte! John's love of music and loyalty to his schools was very strong. He knew all the lyrics to the Columbia University fight song, "Roar, Lion, Roar" and would sing it in public on occasion. These were the times Barb and David acted like they didn't know him. An avid fan of cinema, John watched the Oscars telecast annually. During the memorable "Sound of Music" medley performed by Lady Gaga in 2015, John asked Barb, "Who is this Lady Gaga?" Barb replied, "Google Gaga!" John did just that and quickly became a fan of Lady G. So when you travel, listen to music, watch a movie, get lost in thought or conversation, or savor a fine meal...even with a blob of ketchup...think of John and smile!

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the Des Moines Symphony, 1011 Locust St #200, Des Moines, IA 50309 (dmsymphony.org) or the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation, One Briar Road, Golf, IL 60029-0301 (wgaesf.org). Online condolences may be posted at HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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