When Merlin Epp retired after teaching social studies for 36 years at Federal Way High School, he didn’t quit helping students.
He volunteered daily at Lake Dolloff Elementary School where his wife, Jeanne, teaches kindergarten. He continued taking high school students on tours of historic sites on the East Coast.
And he remained the “Voice of the Eagles” as he had since 1965, serving as public address announcer for football and boys’ basketball games.
That voice is now silent. Epp died last week of a heart attack at age 69.
“Merlin to me was like Thomas Jefferson,” said Joe Gotchy, who taught at Federal Way High for several years during Epp’s long tenure there. “He liked just about everything.
“He was a consummate professional when it came to teaching and working with young people.”
Epp taught for one year at Lakota Middle School beginning in the fall of 1962 before moving to Federal Way High, where he primarily taught U.S. history and humanities. After 37 years of teaching, he retired in 1999.
He later began helping his wife at Lake Dolloff.
“He was loving and kind and the children adored him,” said Jill McCloe, Epp’s daughter.
Dale Mitchell, interim principal at Lake Dolloff, told parents in a letter last week that Epp “had a significant place in your children’s lives, as well as on several generations of students in Federal Way.”
Epp brought the arts to his teenage students, taking them to hear organ recitals of great composers’ music, Gotchy said. In 1976, Epp and his wife organized a tour of historic attractions on the East Coast for the nation’s bicentennial. They led the trip every year thereafter.
“He loved arts and music and all things related to the written word,” Gotchy said. “His ability to convey his love for these things and their importance to society was pretty impressive.”
Also impressive was his voice.
He sang for Lake Dolloff students, and on occasion belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Seattle Mariners games when his beloved New York Yankees were in town.
“He had a booming, incredible bass voice,” McCloe said.
Close friends called him “Squirrel,” short for “Squirrely Merly,” his daughter said.
But Epp was serious about learning. He wanted “to expose kids to all the things that were available so they could find passion in their lives,” McCloe said.
Another of his passions was directing Mount Rainier Leadership Camp, a summer camp in Randle to train student leaders.
Though Epp had diabetes, his death on Oct. 9 “was completely out of the blue,” Gotchy said.
Besides his wife and daughter in Federal Way, Epp is survived by two sons, Shaun Epp and Jay Koh, both of Seattle. All three children took college preparatory history from him at Federal Way High.
“Even though he was a very difficult teacher academically, he was so interesting and fair,” McCloe said. “Kids flocked to his classes.”
“I will remember his joyful laugh and his zest for life, learning, knowledge and fun,” she said. “He’s just a hero.”
What: A public memorial for Federal Way teacher Merlin Epp
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Plymouth Congregational Church, Sixth Avenue and University Street, Seattle
For information: E-mail jill.mccloe@comcast.net.
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