David Merdler

David Merdler 82, of Wyckoff, formerly of Mahwah and Edison, passed Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

Father to Bryan (Wyckoff) and Elizabeth (Jacksonville, Florida), Grandad to Brianna (also Jacksonville, Florida), and husband to Barbara (Wilkinson), to whom he was married to for 59 years.

Born in Liverpool England to Edward & Marjorie (Fairclough), he emigrated to this country in 1948 after World War II.  Edward (Teddy) served in the British Army as an ambulance driver.  The family first settled in Canada before moving to Seattle, but soon re-located to New Jersey.

David spent his childhood in Paterson and Hawthorne, and graduated from Rutgers with a B.A. in Chemistry.  He began his career at Hatco but soon moved on to Givaudan in Clifton, New Jersey, where he worked for 28 years.  In 2002, he joined many of his former co-workers at Fleurchem, in Middletown, New York, where he worked for another 23 years before retiring in 2025.  All employers benefitted from his extensive knowledge of chemistry.

He was a quiet and gentle man who loved his family.  A man of many interests, he especially enjoyed science fiction (books and movies), as he felt it often reflected both the best and worst mankind had to offer.  He had a dry wit, and rarely made jokes, but when he did laughs always ensued.  As a young man, he rode motorcycles and climbed mountains (Katahdin) with his brother-in-law Roy (Wilkinson).  He loved hot cups of tea, model trains and chocolate cake.  He was very handy around the house, and no electrical or plumbing job was beyond him.  He and his family enjoyed many summer vacations in Vermont, New Hampshire and (Wellfleet) Massachusetts.  He visited New Zealand with his cousin Richard, and thought it was one of the most beautiful, remarkable places on Earth.

He may not have been perfect, but he did his best, never quit, and tried to leave things better than when he found them.

Services will be private after cremation.

Donations to The Wyckoff Public Library or The Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc. would be appreciated.

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