Ruth H. (Hainlen) Merrill

WATERLOO-After enjoying a long and fulfilling life, Ruth Merrill passed away on December 9, 2020, at the age of 94. She was born in Rochester on July 23, 1926, to Christian and Maude Hainlen, and grew up in East Rochester. She was the youngest of the family that included brother, Christian and sisters, Betty Nichols and Alice Perez, all now deceased.

She is survived by Paul Merrill, her loving and devoted husband of 71 years, her sons, Douglas (Debra Martin) and John (Cinda), her daughters, Paula (Bill) Schmitt and Judy (John) McCoy, as well as 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Those who knew her will remember her deep spiritual faith, her love of family, and her energy for working side-by-side with Paul. Guided by principles of integrity, hard-work, and self-reliance, they were a formidable team, and role models for their children on how to achieve a long and successful marriage.

The family will be forever grateful to the dedicated staff of the Special Needs Unit at Huntington Living Center in Waterloo who lovingly cared for Ruth for the last two years. Although the pandemic made this year particularly stressful for them, their kindness, compassion, and devotion to the health and emotional well-being of Ruth and Paul was undiminished and continues to be extraordinary.

Although there can be no calling hours or funeral services, please consider leaving fond memories for the family at: www.doranfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, you may wish to consider a donation to the Special Needs Unit of the Huntington Living Center, 369 East Main Street, Waterloo, NY 13165. For more information kindly visit: https://www.flhealth.org/make-a-donation/.