Eunice (Shirlock) Merrill

Eunice M. (Shirlock) Merrill, age 95, died of a broken heart following the loss of her youngest
daughter in March, on Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 at her home in Mendon surrounded by her
daughter, her great-granddaughter and her husband, and two special family friends.
She was born in South Royalton VT to Leslie and Irene (Wood) Shirlock and learned a strong
work ethic while working on the family farm. She milked cows, picked up hay bales, weeded
the garden and dug potatoes. As the oldest child still at home, she worked as her dad’s “farm
hand” until her younger brother got old enough to help. There were some benefits as she
worked along side her Dad who was a skilled carpenter. He taught her carpentry, wiring, and
plumbing skills that she used her entire life. She could visualize a project and then build it.
She worked at Van Raalte in Randolph several years and learned how to sew well. These skills
came in very handy with a growing family.
In 1953, she married Raymond Merrill of Pittsfield. They met at Dreamland Dance Hall at
Tunbridge Fair and were together after that. She attended many baseball games on the
weekends as Ray played for town teams. He taught her to hunt (in case of an emergency ��)
and the story goes that she shot a large buck after Ray had already shot his. She never enjoyed
rabbit hunting like Ray did and there were many winter days when she kept the home fires
going while he was out hunting. Having lived on a farm, she was prepared to butcher anything
that was brought home.
She and Ray raised their four children in Pittsfield. At one point, they had three children under
age 4 in cloth diapers, a duty that always fell to her. She worked hard to make sure her children
succeeded in school and nothing interfered with getting homework done. Two of her proudest
moments were when her three youngest children were all on the Whitcomb High School
National Honor Society at the same time and then when all four children finished college with
their degrees. She also loved going to watch her children participate in sporting events.
Eunice always had a huge garden and canned many vegetables. She was able to put her
cooking skills to use by using whatever was available and any leftovers into a new and delicious creation.
The salted cod fish gravy was never a family favorite though.

She always enjoyed going for a ride and getting ice cream along the way. The ride usually
involved counting deer that were spotted in the meadows.
Ray and Eunice spent their entire 57 years of married life living in Pittsfield. After his death in
2010, she and her daughter Diane moved to Mendon and were happy to still see wildlife while
living in a neighborhood. Fortunately, she was on this side of the mountain before Tropical
Storm Irene.

She loved holidays with family and Christmas was usually an all-day event. While all holidays
made work for her, she loved having her kids, her grand kids and then great-great-
grandchildren around her. She always wanted to know what was going on in their lives and
enjoyed watching them grow up.
She worked hard her entire life and her family was the center of her universe. Every time family
visited, her eyes got big and those baby blues shined as she smiled, including on her last day.
Her family remembered her standing at the window and waving goodbye every time they left.
We could imagine her waving goodbye to us this time last Wednesday evening
She was predeceased by her husband Ray, her daughter Diane, who passed unexpectantly in
March, and her son in law George Sotirakis. She was also predeceased by her parents, her
siblings Elsie Patella, Bill Shirlock, Merle Wood, and Frank Shirlock and several nieces and
nephews.
She is survived by her son, Den Merrill and his wife Gin, of Englewood Florida, her daughter Jan
Sotirakis of East Pittsford, and her son Randy Merrill and his wife Laura of Proctor. She is also
survived by three grandchildren, Josh Merrill of Pittsfield, Jessica Lehman of Chittenden and
Justin Merrill and his wife Traci of Rutland; six greatgrandchildren Hannah Diefendorf and her
husband Eric of Wells, Olivia Merrill of Castleton, Charlie and Piper Merrill of Rutland and
Hunter and Violet Lehman of Chittenden, and two great-greatgrandchildren Ellie and Everleigh
Diefendorf of Wells. She also leaves her sister Margery Hatch of Orange NH and many nieces
and nephews. Michelle Merrill and Kyle Lehman remained a special part of her family and were
with her at her passing.
A burial service is being planned for Eunice, Diane and Ray at the Pittsfield Cemetery, followed
by a Celebration of their Lives in the near future. Details will be shared.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Hospice Program at VNA and Hospice of the
Southwest Region, 7 Albert Cree Drive Rutland VT 05701. Hospice nurses, the chaplain and the
social worker were incredibly supportive of Eunice’s family during her passing.