Nathan Joseph Merke

Nathan Joseph Merke died on May 14, 2021 in his home in Columbia, Maryland. Nathan was born on February 3, 1973. He is predeceased by his father, Joseph P. Merke Jr. He is survived by his wife, Missy Merke, and their sons Matt and Alex. Nathan also leaves behind his mother, Barbara Merke; mother- and father-in-law Jackie and Dave Zipf of Dayton, Md.; siblings David Merke (Jennifer) of Columbia, Md., Ann Levelle (John) of Annapolis, and Susan Kramer (Jeff) of Cincinnati, Oh.; brother-in-law Michael Zipf (Sarah), sister-in-law Mandy Zipf (Cyle), as well as 11 nieces and nephews, and a whole lot of people whom he made happy with his larger-than-life personality.

Nathan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1973. He and his family moved to Columbia, Md., in 1985. He attended Wilde Lake and Howard high schools. He married Missy (Zipf) Merke in December 2002.

Nate had a wide variety of jobs, including at Aerotek, and distributor F.P. Winner, and was the proprietor of Vintage Cellars in the River Hill Village Center in Columbia from 2007 to 2012. Since 2014, Nathan has worked at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, working as a talent runner, security, and numerous other duties.

Nate was a big kid at heart. He loved to have fun, and always had an idea for life’s next big adventure. He loved spending time with his family at amusement parks, and had a passion for Halloween and traveling to haunted houses and events around the country. He also enjoyed camping, and loved attending the biggest and best fireworks displays whenever he could.

Nathan was also a beloved husband and proud father—always happy to share his sons’ latest accomplishments, from Matt’s swimming achievements to Alex’s musical prowess. He was also a fierce friend, always ready to have a laugh, and make anyone he met feel loved.

Nathan will be missed by many, and touched a lot of lives. A celebration of life service will be held on Sunday, May 23, 2021 for friends and family at 1 p.m. at Merriweather Post Pavilion. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to his family through the following Go Fund Me page, for his wife, Missy and sons Matt and Alex. https://gofund.me/a1937cf3 .

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nathan Joseph Merke, please visit our floral store.