Obituary of Merriman Oliver Wilson

March 12, 1936—December 25, 2021 Merriman Oliver 'Wil' Wilson, 85, was born on March 12, 1936, and died on Christmas Day, 2021, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the only child of Bettie Oliver and Solomon Merriman Wilson. He grew up in Baltimore and in Murfreesboro, a small town in northern North Carolina, home of his mother's side of the family. His mother was a nurse. His father, a soldier and World War One veteran, was from the Maryland's Eastern Shore. After graduating from Baltimore's Fredrick Douglass High School in 1954, 'Wil' joined the U.S. Air Force, serving in the U.S. and Germany. He recalled to his family that he was usually one of the first Black people that many Germans had ever seen and that children often wanted to touch his hair. After serving in the Air Force, Merriman returned to Baltimore. He and Delores Adele Sanders married on May 31, 1958. They have four children: Michaelle Wilson, twins Karen Wilson and Sharon Wilson, and Scotty Wilson. They also have two grandchildren, Stephanie Okonkwo and Nicholas Wilson. Sharon passed away on November 12, 2021. The others survive him and honor his memory. He is also survived by cousins, Beta Sigma Tau Fraternity Brothers, and many loving friends 'Wil' attended Morgan State College (now Morgan University). As a full-time student with a growing family, he also worked full-time at the Post Office. However, that broke rules of the Post Office or Morgan (or both) and he was fired from his job. He proudly became the first college graduate of his family in 1960. That year, he pledged Beta Sigma Tau Fraternity, joining a lifelong Brotherhood that exemplifies the motto, "Equality – Understanding – Unity." These friends-for-life demonstrated their commitment to Baltimore through many projects, including voter registration, mentoring young Black men, community service, and college scholarship programs. 'Wil' spent his career in the Baltimore City Public Schools, teaching French and Spanish at Garrison Junior High School and serving as vice principal of Northeast Middle School. After school, he joyfully coached Little League Baseball. Merriman Wilson loved fishing, sports and travel. His interests included Negro League baseball, college football, the Washington Wizards and the Baltimore Orioles. Most of all, he loved the Baltimore Ravens. Well into his late seventies, he attended stadium games. He and Delores enjoyed vacations with their children. He drove the family's blue wood-paneled station wagon many miles, taking the children many places, including Murfreesboro, the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. They continued the travel tradition with the next generation, vacationing with Steph and Nick during their formative years. Not to be limited to the continental U.S., the couple also ventured to Morocco, Europe, Caribbean islands and to many other locales around the world. In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a gift in memory of Merriman O. Wilson's dedication to educating future leaders, please consider: Dollars for Scholars Program, Historic Frederick Douglass High School Alumni Association, P.O. Box 25151, Baltimore, Maryland 21229-0251. (https://hfdhsaainc.net/ways-to-donate/) A homegoing celebration for Mr. Wilson will be livestreamed at 2 pm followed by services at 3 pm on Wednesday, January 19, 2022. ( https://mgstream.live/k/vau-41i-pmi-mwx.)