I had heard him perform, including at the first Mariposa Festival, but regret that I never really knew Merrick. We did connect at some event or another a few years ago, exchanged anecdotes, and found that we had a number of friends in common. I was struck then by what a gentle and likable man he seemed to be.
We agreed that we would get together again and share our mutual love for the music and the folk community in southern Ontario, but Merrick lived in Kitchener/Waterloo and I am in Toronto. The get-together never happened. I'm very sorry to hear that he is gone.