Mike Merle-Smith died on Dec. 3, 1998, after battling Parkinson's disease for 22 years. A remembrance gathering was held at the Princeton Friends School, and later in Keene Valley, N.Y., where he was interred.
School pres. at the Brooks School in Andover, Mass., Mike was also a leader at Princeton. He was a member of the senior council and pres. of Cap and Gown, while majoring in modern languages. Mike had enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in Iwo Jima during WWII. Between sailing cruises around the world, he taught for two years at the Punahou School in Hawaii. His interest in teaching led him to the Buckley School in NYC, where he taught, served as administrator, and earned a master's in history from the Teachers College of Columbia U. Married in 1962, Mike and Annette moved to Princeton in 1964, where he was head of the middle school at the newly created Princeton Day School. He served there for 17 years as teacher and administrator, and retired in 1983 because of the progression of Parkinson's.
Mike is survived by Annette, his daughter, Margaret, and his brother, the Rev. Van Santvoord Merle-Smith '40. We extend to them our deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1952