A Final Farewell at Ketoctin Baptist Church for Dick Merritt

    The blue sky was nearly cloudless on last day of April 2021. The wind was blowing hard toward the top of the knoll.

 

    In the distance the Virginia mountains were showing the early leaves of green, filling in where bare trees had stood just a few weeks before.

 

    A gravel road wound through the trees to reveal a small brick church built in 1854. Nearby was a quiet cemetery.

 

    Ketoctin Baptist Church is in Purcellville Virginia and the final resting place for a gentleman who changed our world. It would be here we would say our goodbye to Richard F. Merritt.

 

    A group of friends gathered. Some brought their Ferrari to provide a proper backdrop for the memorial.

 

    Soon three black Ferraris came slowly up the gravel. Dick Merritt’s ashes got one last ride in a 250 SWB Berlinetta. It was fitting there was a 250 GTE and a 330 GT 2+2 following. Three early 1960s Ferraris perfectly framed the procession led by son, Kendall Merritt.

 

    David Born, Chris Current, Richard Garre and Sam Smith gave remembrances.

 

    The pastor read scripture to help ease the pain. I couldn’t help but notice a pair of hawks swooping and diving with the blowing wind gusts in the background as he described that Dick Merritt had slipped the bonds of mortal earth. It was a fitting tribute.