Events
Wilmer "Bill" Cutler Merrill, age 86, of Payson, Arizona, passed away on October 25, 2024 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He died doing what he loved and in so doing he achieved his goal of skipping the nursing home later in life.
He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 5, 1938 to Rowland and Margaret Merrill. He graduated from West High School and received his Bachelor's degree from Utah State University in Automotive Engineering. After a brief period of working for Ford Motor Company he established Merrill Motors in 1965 in Price, Utah. He represented Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury. His favorite was Toyota and least favorite was Volkswagen. After selling his dealership in the early nineties, he moved his business to Sandy, Utah and was one of the first dealers in the Utah Auto Mall. In his retirement, he would spend time visiting local dealerships to check out the latest models.
He was an avid motorcyclist and began riding motorcycles at an early age and was a regular at traffic school into his eighties. He rode his motorcycle all over the American West and Canada. He especially enjoyed Yellowstone, Colorado in the fall, Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies, and the the mountains and deserts of Arizona. Other than his motorcycle, Bill had a passion for cars and bought his first car, an old Model T, at the at the age of fourteen which he had to park around the corner from his home to hide it from his parents. In high school he was a member of The Crusaders car club and would spend weekends driving up and down State Street.
Bill was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as one of the first missionaries in the country of Brazil. Throughout his life, he struggled with his participation in the church, but as the years went on, his activity in his faith became more important to him. He had recently been called to be the single adult leader in his ward and was known to share copies of the Book of Mormon with nonmember friends and family.
He freely shared his opinions with people, some good and some bad, and had plenty to say about religion, politics, marijuana, real estate, motorcycles, and cars. He enjoyed being around people and made friends in the many places he lived, including Alpine, Utah; Island Park and Ashton Idaho; and Payson, Arizona.
Bill is survived by his children, Alan, Natalie, Brian, Jill, Joshua, and Tiffany; his grandchildren, Annie, Katie, Rosie, Steve, Kyle, Matthew, Emily, Nathan, Jeff, Mark, Alyssa, Elekcia, Jacey, and Adam; his great-grandchildren, Eliza, Owen, and Luke, and his sister, Pam (Merrill) Prunckun. Bill is preceded in death by his sons, Mark Cutler Merrill and David Chad Merrill; his brothers, Rowland and Craig Merrill, and his sister Margot Merrill.
A viewing will be held on Monday, November 4, from 6:00-8:00 pm at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah and a graveside service will be held November 5, at 10:00 am in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Guestbook/Condolences
Sorry about bill he was a very good friend.
We met Bill 5 years ago when we bought the house next door. We learned pretty quickly that he was quite the character and it didn’t take long for he and Vince to become good friends. He will be missed but I know we’ll meet again on the other side. Rest in peace.
Rest in peace my dear friend. Cant believe
Your gone. We love you. Our thoughts and prayers for the family.
Do sorry about this. Enjoyed our friendship and our chats. Rip my friend
I met Bill when I was in high school and he was at USU before his mission. He had a motorycle up there one weekend and I rode with him the first time up Logan canyon sans helmets or other protective gear. It wasn't until 50 years later that I rode with him again. I will always cherish the hours I spent behind him on the bike in Yellowstone, over Bear Tooth Pass, on the road to Cody or Bozeman and in the canyons of Utah and Arizona. I know he's in a better place with those he loved who had passed before him.
Dear cousin Pam, and all Bill's family,
Happy for Bill that he figured out how to avoid a nursing home! I send condolences because it is just not easy to say a sudden good-by!
I remember Bill from when had the car dealership in Price. My mom, his aunt, Barbara Merrill, was driving from Salt Lake to Louisiana for a family emergency when her car broke down. She somehow called Bll (this was pre-cellphone days) and he came right to the rescue with a replacement car. Did not hesitate. Just helped her out in her true emergency. I have always loved him for that.
All the best to my cousins,
Barbara Jean (Merrill) Cruikshank
Anderson, Indiana
We were friends and neighbors to Bill in Ashton. He was fun to listen to and hear about his great adventures. He let us keep our boat in his garage for the winter. Would someone from the family contact me? I would be glad to keep an eye out on his home, just as we always did. 208.541.8894
I’m so sorry about Bill. He was supposed to come to California to visit when I noticed Tiffany’s mention of the accident on FB. I knew Bill over 50 years and we kept in touch. I helped him decorating his home in Arizona. He loved his kids and friends, I’ll miss you Friend, until we meet again, Lorraine Anderson
I met Bill attending the Singles Ward in SLC in the early '90s. I had the opportunity to go on bikes with him, one to Canada.
A funny story...he would say, "We could get married and you wouldn't even have to change your name."
He was a good guy deep down, and loved his family and the Church. He often said he could never deny the Church even though he struggled living the principles.
So glad I got to see the services by video.
I will miss our talks.
See you on the other side, Bill.❤️
I love you sweet friend. I know you are happy now to be on the other side of the veil. I know Ron was there to give you a big hug. So grateful for the many talks (happy and sad ones), laughs and just being silly. You are amazing, it has been a pleasure to know you.
Love Areil