A celebration of life for Thomas Sydney Merron of Tacoma will be held Friday, October 27th at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Tacoma at 11am. A reception will be held at 4124 N 32nd St. following the service.

Born April 13, 1934 in Manchester, England, Syd (89) died at home in Tacoma on Saturday June 17, 2023 surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his parents Wilfred and Sarah Merron, brother Wilfred ‘Stafford’ Merron, brothers-in-law Gordon Mansell and Peter Hayhurst and older sister Mary Mansell. He leaves behind his wife Rosemarie, daughters Sarah (Todd), Grace (Ryan), and Rebecca (Robert), sister Patricia (Peter), grandchildren Nicholas, Michael, Jake, Sydney, Olivia, and Matthew as well as beloved nieces and nephews in Canada and England.

Syd truly made his own way in life that involved many moves to new countries and continuing education. His love of problem solving and attention to detail drew him to drafting. He graduated from Ashton Tech and Stockport College of Technology before entering the Royal Air Force where he was stationed in Wales working as an aircraft engine mechanic. After his service, Syd worked as a draftsman in England before landing a job at a Swiss firm, Magerle, in 1961. It was in Switzerland that he met the love of his life, Rosemarie, in 1962. They married in 1964 and soon after left Switzerland for a job in Canada. It was a happy reunion with his sister Mary and her family. Boeing lured Syd, Rosemarie, and now Sarah to the pacific northwest. Though it was a short stay in Lake Stevens, it was a happy one as Grace was born. The Merron’s longest stay was in Marion, Ohio after Syd took a job at the Marion Power Shovel. Syd’s love of learning led him to earn his MBA from Ashland College in 1983 at the age of 49, while working full time and raising a growing family, which now included Rebecca. Syd then worked for Ohio Brass as a Project Manager until it’s closing in 1988. That year would bring Syd and family back to Washington to take a job at The Robbins Company. Syd built tunnel boring machines with Robbins and traveled to Japan and the outback of Australia in support of it. He was never afraid to get messy and hands on in order to solve a problem.

Syd’s true passion was cycling. He excelled in track racing as well as road racing, earning multiple amateur titles in England. He rode as much as he could, even riding with his REI buddies at lunch time where he delighted in sprinting away from the younger riders. One of Syd’s greatest cycling achievements came when he rode the Etape du Tour in 2003. He was able to ride a stage of his beloved Tour de France, climbing the famed Col Bagargui. Syd followed the Tour multiple times, sleeping wherever he could find along the route and loving every minute of it.

Syd will be missed and remembered for his zest for life, his infectious enthusiasm, his tenacity on the bike as well as for solving problems and for his love of life.

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