Edward Leo Merek Jr.

Born on August 21, 1958, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Edward Leo Merek, Jr. (“Ward '' to his family and friends) lived an eventful, travel-filled, full life. He died March 30, 2023, at the age of 64, suddenly at his home in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Ward spent his formative years in the Santa Clara Valley where playing, running, biking, swimming, and going to movies filled most of a young boy's idle time. It is also where Ward found his true love of water and eventually became an All American water polo player.

Ward continued his water polo excellence at DeAnza College and then on to Cal Poly Pomona. On completion of his bachelor's degree, Ward returned to the Santa Clara Valley where he began his lifelong career working for Lockheed Missiles and Space (Lockheed-Martin). It was here that he began a family as well as a respected career working in support of our nation's defense.

After the birth of his daughter and son, he moved his family to the Space Coast of Florida in the mid-1990s. As his family and career blossomed, Ward again found his love of the water and began exploring deep sea diving. Ward became an accomplished diver and a certified (PADI) diving instructor. His weekends would be filled with dives throughout Florida and gradually expanding throughout the world. Ward's driving travels included the Red Sea, the Galapagos Islands, the Maldives, the Bahamas, Belize, Mexico as well as traveling to Egypt to see the pyramids in Europe and Malaysia.

He was preceded in death by his father "Ed" Merek and is survived by his mother Priscilla (Judge) Merek, cherished daughter Stephanie and son Teddy, his beloved siblings Mitzi, Peter, Kathy, and Matthew. He also had an extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, close lifelong friends, and dive partners, who he cared for deeply and whose friendship made his life more complete.

Ward loved exploration and travel so much that when the Undiscovered Country beckoned he could not resist and took that trip sooner than we would have liked. No funeral service is immediately planned. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to PADI AWARE foundation.