Merritt N. Cootes ’31

Merritt Cootes died Nov. 26, 1998, after a lingering illness.

He was most aptly named. Not that he was merry or anything like that, but he was most personable, gregarious, and, as the French say, agreable. Particularly, in recollection, in his amiability and hospitality to his classmates when he lived in Florence.

The son of an Army colonel, Merry was, in the vernacular, an "Army brat," and lived in many places, including Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., Vienna, Chattanooga, Paris, LeHavre, France, and El Paso, Tex.

He prepared at College Ile de France and Woodberry Forest. At Princeton, he played freshman soccer, was assistant manager of the lacrosse team, and was treasurer of Cloister Inn.

Following graduation, he fulfilled his ambitions and entered the diplomatic service. He was a Foreign Service officer for a number of years and was stationed in, among other places, Hong Kong, Saigon, Lisbon, Rome, Moscow, Portau-Prince, and Lahore. He was in Florence when he retired, and in 1987 he returned to Princeton.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jean Phillips, and one nephew, Harry Belin. The class extends its sympathy to his wife and nephew.

The Class of 1931