Merlin Dart died on November 16 in Boulder at the age of 96 from complications following a fall in mid-October.

Merlin was born in Smith Center, Kansas, the only child of Rudy and Bernice Dart. For most of his childhood, he lived on the prairie in a limestone house built on land originally homesteaded by his great grandfather. It was a simple life without electricity or running water. He had fond memories of his years living in "The Rock House."

His parents sought more than post-depression Kansas could offer, so they took a risk and made the move to Aurora, Colorado in 1941 where Rudy opened a filling station on Colfax Avenue near Fitzsimons Army Hospital. Merlin remembered seeing President Roosevelt at the dedication of Building 500 and then four days later, learning of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His parents were very worried they had made a mistake moving to a big city during a time of war but soon discovered the officers at Fitzsimons had money and plenty of ration stamps for tires and gasoline.

Merlin attended William Smith High School in Aurora and played guard on the football team. As a Boy Scout, he climbed the Cables Route on Longs Peak. After school he worked at his father's filling station and at his second job delivering The Denver Post to soldiers from the battlefields of WWII recovering at Fitzsimons. He saw men only a few years older than he was with devastating injuries from the war, an experience that made a powerful impression.

Following graduation in 1946, he attended Colorado State University. Student housing was in short supply after the war which required him to live in the South College Gymnasium with many other men.

Higher education lost its appeal under these living conditions so in 1947 he went to work for Mountain Bell in Fort Collins. He started his career climbing telephone poles and installing telephones throughout northern Colorado. His early years at Mountain Bell were an adventure in the Colorado outdoors.

Special repair assignments took him to remote parts of the state, from the Fern Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountain National Park via horseback to winter on Independence Pass with a snowcat. He developed a lifelong love of western landscapes.

Merlin married his lifelong partner Nadine Moschenross in 1950 in Aurora. Nadine attended the same high school but was two years behind and so their paths did not cross until a chance double date in 1949. They made their home in Fort Collins where Doug (1951) and Ken (1955) were born. Merlin's ambition and talent at Mountain Bell was quickly recognized.

Over several years there were frequent promotions and transfers and in 1959 he was transferred to Boulder. He purchased a house for his young family that was under construction in Martin Acres for $15,000.

In 1962 Merlin was offered a two-year assignment to work at Bell Labs in New Jersey.

The two years living on the East Coast were transformative for the entire family and were some of the most rewarding of his career.

Merlin retired from the phone company in 1983 and for the next seven years worked as a technical writer with IBM. It was a perfect post-retirement job; he was a precise observer of process and a consummate wordsmith.

It was during this time that he developed a fascination with computers.

For over 50 years, Merlin and Nadine were part of a potluck group that met once a month.

They enjoyed traveling and preferred road trips to the mountains and deserts of the west.

They took frequent trips to Belize to visit their son Ken who has lived there since 1990. Their summer cabin in Eldora became an ongoing project and was a gathering place for friends and family.

Merlin was an active member of the Boulder Evening Optimist club for over 50 years and was a member of the Boulder Genealogical Society. He had a lifelong love of cars and most recently restored a 1950 Chevy pickup.

In 2010 Nadine was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and for the next four years until her death in 2014, Merlin was her dedicated caretaker.

After her death, he made a project of visiting his many friends from high school and from early days at the phone company.

Three years ago, he moved to Brookdale Boulder Creek where he made new friends and thrived with the help of a dedicated and caring staff. He spent his final three weeks at Winding Trails Post Acute where he was cared for with compassion. TRU Hospice was invaluable during his last weeks.

His family is grateful for the many caregivers who are devoted to comforting others.

Merlin is survived by his son Doug (Rita) of Boulder, grandson Colin (Virginia) of Boulder, granddaughter Andrea (Dave LaRocca) of Denver and their children Loretta and Mia. He is also survived by his son Ken (Janet) of Belize, grandsons Kieran and Ryan of Belize, grandson Jonathan Nickell (Paula) of Aspen and niece Christine Anshutz of Grand Junction.

Contributions may be made to TRU Hospice Care or the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.

Merlin's cremains will be interred next to those of his wife at Mountain View Memorial Park in Boulder. A remembrance will be held at 10 AM on December 11 at Greenwood and Myers Mortuary in Boulder.

Parking may be limited.