Paul Merriam 9/4/1943 - 5/25/2022

Former Auburn resident Paul Merriam passed away on May 25 after a serious fall. Paul was born to Cliff and June Merriam on September 4, 1943 in Sacramento. Paul spent his childhood and teenage years roaming the countryside of Auburn with a steadfast gaggle of friends, oftentimes taking part in a variety of questionable antics just to annoy the local constabulary like racing his prized '57 Chevy on city streets and shooting at telephone lines with his father's .22 rifle. And yet his benevolent spirit was never far from the surface, as it was on that winter evening when as a senior at Placer High, he stopped along the side of Interstate 80 to help a stranded motorist and was hit by a drunken driver, suffering a severely broken leg. The positive side of that shattered leg was that it kept him out of the war VietNam. After high school, Paul attended Sierra College, then earned his Bachelor's degree at CSU Sacramento. While there, Paul became one of the original student DJs on the campus radio station, KERS-FM, where he played rock and roll from artists like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. Ten years later KERS would morph into what is now Capitol Public Radio. After graduation, Paul meandered through Europe in a VW bus, then returned to Sacramento to help create the iconic Sacramento radio station KZAP, which ultimately became one of California's most influential rock stations. He went on to become the station's Program Director. After that, he worked at a variety of jobs including as a salesman for Continental Motors and Planet Mac, an engineer at The Fish Christian radio, a customer service rep at Apple (until he was let go for spending too much time with customers!), and a barista at Java City. Like his grandfather before him, Paul was very much a Renaissance man: he was a salesman, a teacher, a moccasin maker and leather worker, a musician and singer (who was seldom without his treasured Washburn guitar), a woodworker, a craftsman, and a remarkably talented graphic artist. He was also a devoted Christian, a vital part of the evangelical community, and a shining role model for the young people in his life. He called Sacramento home for 54 years, yet loved hiking his beloved American River Canyon and spending summers camping at Graeagle. In his later years, Paul once again let his hair grow, sported a long gray beard and moustache, and was never seen without his trademark flat newsboy cap and tall leather handmade moccasins. Paul is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Lou Anne (née Styrsky), his brother Fred (Julie) in Auburn, his sister Joan in Nevada City, and countless devoted friends throughout California and beyond. Memorial services are pending. Remembrance donations in Paul's name may be made to Christians United For Israel, PO Box 1307, San Antonio, TX 78295-1307 or through www.cufi.org, or to a charity of the donor's choice. Fly free and sing, sweet Paul.