Passed away on March 26th at the age of 84 after a prolonged battle with dementia and Alzheimer’s. John was born on October 18,1941 in Minneapolis, MN, the eldest of twins. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Claude Merrill Sr. and Grace Cathrine Merrill (Glynn), and twin brother James Merrill. Survived by his three children: Joe (Joan), Anne (Sean), and Tim (Colleen), six grandchildren; Cormac & Dermot, Sophie & Caiden, and Olivia & Sienna. Also survived by his brother Bill (Kitty) Merrill and his nieces Kristin & Sarah, and special friend Sharon Thronson. We sincerely thank the hospice nurse James, and the Brookdale Edina memory care staff for their outstanding care of John. Your dedication is deeply appreciated.

John was a long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous and was proud of his recovery. He volunteered to tell his story to prisoners recovering and sponsored many others. John was known for his great sense of humor, love of politics, books and enjoyed traveling. He maintained longstanding childhood friendships, including meeting regularly for lunch over many years with a group known as the 5 Guys.

Visitation and memorial service will be held at the Cremation Society of Minnesota at 7110 France Avenue South, Edina MN 55435 on Saturday April 18th, 2026. Visitation will start at 1pm and the memorial service at 2pm, followed by a reception.

The family has asked that Memorials be made to The Democratic Committee or Loaves & Fishes.