GHC News

GHC Charter Member, Merle S. Elliott, Passes at the Age of 90

November 6, 2020

GHC founding member, Merle Elliott, passed away the evening of November 4, 2020. In 1987, Merle worked to pull together our founding members to create GHC and was selected as the first Chairman of our organization. He remained active in the organization until he was appointed as a lifetime Honorary Member and was the first recipient of the self-named “Merle E. Elliott Community Catalyst Award" in 2011. Merle helped shape GHC’s Mission which is “To identify community needs and engage the resources of each member to be a catalyst for consensus and progress” - in a humble and quiet way. This could easily define Merle’s work in our community over the last 90 years as he not only helped found GHC, but also many other prominent and influential organizations such as: • The Community Foundation est. 1997 – started with one fund of $9,000 and now represents 370 funds worth $45M and our largest provider of local education scholarships • Leadership Hagerstown est. 1987 (now Washington Co.) – nearly 1000 graduates • Leadership Maryland est. 1993 – over 1100 graduates • and of course, Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, est. 1963 – SEK employees and partners volunteer as treasurers and provide accounting support to numerous non-profit boards and work with hundreds of businesses in our community (GHC’s past SEK treasurer’s included, Merle, Jerry Bullington, Jef Bohn, and Bill Fritts) Merle was also the prominent leader of CHIEF since the 1970’s creating many of the industrial parks along I-81 that helped our community attract companies that provide thousands of jobs for our citizens (all done on a pro-bono basis). He served on and chaired numerous boards including the Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Club (instrumental in acquiring their gym), Hagerstown Rotary, The Chamber, YMCA, MEDCO, the United Way, HCC (chaired their first scholarship campaign), and the MD Assoc. of Community Colleges (devised the state’s “CADE Formula” to fund community colleges which has been called “the most significant piece of legislation for community colleges the state ever passed”). Merle also served our country in the US Army during the Korean War. Upon his honorable discharge, he was awarded the Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and Korean Service Medal. When you think of the positive impact GHC and all of the organizations Merle founded have had in our community and abroad, as well as his many hours of board service, it’s hard to imagine where Washington County would be without a “community lion” like Merle. Our community mourns the loss of a significant leader with his passing. His lifelong dedication to improve Washington County is a call to action for each of us to help pick up and fill the void in leadership created by his loss. GHC’s prayers and condolences go out his family during this time as we honor and celebrate his service above self.