Patricia Carnegie Merrill

Patricia Carnegie Merrill died at peace in Brentwood, NH, on Monday, February 22, 2016 at the age of 91.

Patricia was born in Ohio on January 2, 1925 to Arlene and Andrew Carnegie, the middle of three children. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1947 with a degree in medical technology.

When Patricia came to Exeter in 1947 with her friend, Dorothy Immler, little did she know that her siblings, Nancy Lee Carnegie Merrill and Andrew Carnegie, would follow her and that they would all make lives for themselves in Exeter, contributing to the town in myriad ways. She lived in Exeter, working as a medical technologist at Exeter Hospital until she married Sydney Abner Merrill in 1952.

The newlyweds moved to Bethlehem, CT to work at the Merrill Brothers general store. They had three children over the course of 6 years: Peter, Christopher, and Nancy. Patricia and Sydney moved back to Exeter in 1961, when Sydney took a job at the Exeter Co-operative Bank. After the children were in school, Pat worked part-time at the Phillips Exeter Infirmary. She and Sydney worked tirelessly to make their house at 102 Front Street a gracious home for their children and guests.

After their three children had left home, Pat and Syd moved to Alton Bay, to a house on Woodlands Road that had belonged to Pat's parents. Their home became a gathering place for various groups including the Garden Society and the Conservation Commission. Pat, an avid gardener, worked the rocky and unforgiving soil around their home, creating lovely and colorful gardens in which she took great delight.

While working on a master's degree in occupational education, Pat worked at the University of New Hampshire, first in the medical technology program and later in the School of Health and Human Services Dean's Office.

After leaving UNH, Pat worked at the Gilman Library in Alton Bay, eventually earning a certificate in public library technique in 1986. She became the Director of the Gilman Library in 1982 and continued in that role until 1995. She was library director during an important time in the library's history, overseeing its expansion and the building a new wing that more than doubled the library's size.

In 1987, Pat was elected Alton selectman and served in that capacity until1993. The Alton Board of Selectmen honored Patricia by naming April 25, 1997 Patricia Merrill Day for her "foresight, dedication, and commitment to the Town of Alton and the Gilman Library."

"Aunt Pat" was loved by her many nieces and nephews, who enjoyed her welcoming home, always accompanied by her famous coffee cake or other baked treats – blueberry pie, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, trifle, the list is long and delicious. She loved family gatherings, especially at The Lake.

Pat was proud of her Scottish heritage and her Andrew Carnegie ancestry. It pleased her that she and her siblings all made their marks on public libraries, she in Alton, her brother and sister in Exeter – a direct legacy of her Scots relative.

Her three children, two grandchildren, and a wide extended family survive Patricia C. Merrill.

A memorial service will be held at the Gilman Library, 100 Main Street, Alton, NH 03809 on Saturday June 18, 2016 at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations made in her memory to the Gilman Library.