Elton Lewis Merritt, Sr.

Elton Merritt Sr., 80, a resident of Cape Charles, VA, passed away Friday, December 21, 2012 at his home. A native of Cape Charles, he was the son of the late Isaac Lewis Merritt and the late Lillian Hux Merritt. He was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church. He worked on the Cape Charles Ferry's until they moved North to Delaware. He then went to work for the CBBT and went to the Police Academy in Virginia Beach, VA and graduated in the top of his class. He later worked as a police officer in the town of Cape Charles under Mayor Ward and a few years later went to work for Northampton County in Eastville, VA and worked as a Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff Tank Belote... while serving a combined total of 20 years in law enforcement. He then decided to go back to school at the age of 40 and got his Engineering Degree from Piney Point in Baltimore, MD after getting his degree he went to work for Allied Towing Ocean Tug as a Chief Master Engineer until he retired at the age of 60. He is survived by seven children, Lillie Merritt Parker and her husband, Buddy , Mary Merritt Landon and her husband, Richard , Elton Lewis Merritt Jr., Timothy Isaac Merritt and his wife, Karen , Teresa Merritt Wayman and her husband, Jeffrey, Christopher Wayne Merritt and his wife, Lisa , Angela Virginia Merritt and her Fiancée, Niva R. Ortiz; 16 grandchildren, Geoffrey Abraham, Derek Abraham, Kristopher Abraham, Renee Landon, Christina Bonniwell, Elton Merritt III, Logan Merritt, Timmy Merritt, Lindsey Merritt, Jeffrey Wayman, Matthew Wayman, Shannon Merritt, Laura Merritt, Hunter Elliott, Christopher Elliott, Heatherlea Elliott; 11 great grandchildren, Alyssia Abraham, Taylor Bonniwell, Marissa Bonniwell, Nikki Bonniwell, Tyler Bonniwell, Natalya Bonniwell, Chayce Wayman, Ethan Wayman, Jacob Mellhammer, Isaac Merritt, and Elijah Merritt. He was predeceased by a sister, Lula Merritt Thurman, a brother, Ira Garland Merritt Sr. and a granddaughter, Catherine Meranda Merritt. A celebration of life service will be held on Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 11:00 AM at St. Charles Catholic Church on with Father J. Michael Breslin officiating. Interment will follow in the Cape Charles Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Eastern Shore S.P.C.A. Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 164, Onley, VA 23418. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.doughtyfuneralhome.com Arrangements were made by the Wilkins-Doughty Funeral Home in Cape Charles, Virginia.