Merle Lynn Koerner

Merle Lynn Koerner (Berman), of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, passed away on November 28, 2024 at the age of 77. Born and raised in Camden, NJ, Merle was the daughter of the late Albert Berman and Gertrude Berman(Weber). She is survived by her beloved husband, Roger Koerner, son Andrew Koerner (Marcio Hamerschlak), daughter Alissa Koerner, grandchild Cooper Koerner- Hamerschlak, sister Norma (“Cookie”) Weinberg (Berman) (Alan Weinberg). While Merle’s focus was her family and friends, she was also a Clinical Social Worker with a private practice in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens. Funeral to be held on December 2,2024.

Roger and Merle met for the first time on the the Lancaster, Pennsylvania train station platform. The result of a blind date for a fraternity weekend arranged by a fraternity brother at Franklin and Marshall College and his fiancé, a close friend of Merle’s at Douglas College. Roger remembers first seeing Merle engaged in conversation with other coeds arriving for the weekend. She was beautiful, outgoing with a dazzling smile and an infectious laugh. His plan for a reasonably priced meal at a local restaurant, required by my limited funds, was dashed by the large crowd. A short expensive walk to an elegant, expensive restaurant brought him to panic levels when he saw the menu prices. Merle, kept the conversation light while she studied the menu, smiled at the waiter and ordered the least expensive item. Roger remembers thinking, ‘This is the girl for me.’ This was the beginning of a wonderful journey lasting almost 58 years.

Merle was born to a close, loving family in Camden, New Jersey. She shared a happy childhood with her sister, Cookie. When her father suffered a stroke at 36, her mother became the breadwinner. Merle began early in life by helping her mom plan and prepare the dinner meals. She was 10. An early lesson in responsibility. Her mother missed many of the mother-daughter events and the family was on a tight budget, thus she realized that she could not afford the lifestyle that some of her friends enjoyed. She vowed she would be integrally involved in her children’s activities and by necessity became an excellent shopper. She excelled at cooking, always adding a flourish to make the dish extra special. This love of cooking continued for the rest of her life, shared with family and friend alike. Budget conscious, she taught herself to become a smart shopper, finding ways to buy quality goods at reasonable prices. We all remember variations of a shopping show we had at home when Merle would buy clothes for everyone and then showcase each purchase, requiring our guesses as to the cost. We were never right. She would explain in detail the art of using coupons, points, mark downs, and bonus dollar to obtain quality at a bargain price. She was so proficient, we encouraged her to write a newspaper column. She wasn’t interested, she did it purely for the joy that initially arose out of a family necessity.

Merle enjoyed a wonderful life with her husband Roger, children Andrew and Alissa, Yorkie, Chico and Maltese, Brandy. She followed her dream of being active and involved in her children’s lives. She was perennially class mother, attended all sports events, followed closely their student council activities, where they both excelled on a county level. She was excited about summer camp visits, friend and family trips, embraced family visits to Cherry Hill and New York. She loved the weekends at the University of Michigan where both children graduated. Alissa remembers her lunch love notes in every homemade lunch from elementary all the way through high school. They always made her smile and during tougher days, helped her get through the day. Everyone in class wanted to know what she wrote. All of Alissa’s friends wanted to come to the house. They wanted to see her mom. “She was always there whenever I needed her. Without fail, she jumped on a plane and took care of Alissa. Whenever she needed to go to the hospital, Merle (Mom) had an upbeat attitude, that Alissa knew put on for her. She would put on a big smile and grab Alissa’s big toe as they wheeled her away saying, “See you on the other side.”

Andrew remembers that mom instilled in him the importance of honesty and responsibility to family, always teaching a life lesson. She took Andrew to Southeast bank to open his first bank account when he was 7. She would bond with her kids over food and baseball, once famously personally obtaining an autograph from Ron Darling on a Montreal Metro train station platform at Olympic Stadium. When successful, she voiced the life lesson,” If you don’t ask for what you want, you cant complain about not getting it.“ She would hunt for the best cheese steak sandwich when she was away from Philadelphia/South Jersey, dragging along any family member.

Merle was very close to her sister, Cookie, even though she was 51/2 years older, leaving for college when Merle was only 12. When they were both adults with families they bonded, despite being separated by geography. They saw each other frequently. Their phone conversations were frequent and often lasted hours. Cookie remembers talking to Merle when Roger would be going out for errands, when he returned more than an hour later they would still be on the phone. She was also very creative, on her own terms. She knitted perfect, beautiful sweaters for the children born to friends and family anticipating the time needed to complete the sweaters before their birth. People give presents when babies are born. Merle delivered a gift that was a labor of love.

She also loved painting, avoiding classes that required a schedule she might not be able to keep or be comfortable. She obtained ideas gleaned from magazines or art exhibits. Even when she couldn’t stand any more she arranged a plastic tablecloth on their bed with a canvas and would paint. In the last difficult years, Roger hung the paintings so they surrounded her in the bedroom. She loved looking at her work and enjoyed the vivid memories of family life while she had been painting them.

She was bright, with an eidetic memory, frequently entertaining when she would remember a dinner years before and could list everyone there and what each one was wearing. It was also well suited for her enjoyment of trading stocks. She was an avid fan of CNBC and would share with the family the opinions of CEO given interviews as well as the personal lives she learned about of the journalists. She had great instincts. At one time, she watched Roger setting up his new Apple computers, quietly leaving the room only to reappear informing him that they owned Apple stock. She was a force. Any task she took on would be completed to perfection.

She seemed to connect well with everyone. Roger would always boast that wherever they lived, he made friends easily. All he would have to do was stand next to Merle. She learned how to fight her way through adversity. In her freshman year of college she developed an intestinal ailment and she was unable to graduate prior to marrying. She went back to Douglas to complete her BA and later on, after having two children, went on to earn a MSW in Social Work and open a Clinical Therapy Practice.

With her winning personality and interest in people, Merle was able to enjoy lasting friendships. At parties, she was known for her extended good bye tours. Roger finally learned to adapt. Merle’s passing has left a void. We will all miss her vibrant personality, comforting ways, guiding light, joy of life, beautiful smile and infectious laugh. She will always be with us in our memories. Her sayings are deeply seared in our brains, her life documented in movies and photos but most of all her memory will forever resonate in our hearts.

Whenever any of us would say to her, “I love you.” She would answer, “I love you more.” Now, when we find it almost impossible to say goodbye to her, Please know, we love you more.