Obituary of Patricia Valborg Merz

Patricia Valborg Merz passed away on May 6, 2021, at the age of 87. She was born on Christmas Eve, 1933, in Franklin Township, MI, in the Upper Peninsula. Her parents, Linda and William Maki, moved south to Detroit a few years later when the copper mines closed. A 1951 graduate of Northwestern High School, Pat spent her entire career as a dedicated secretary for Westinghouse until her retirement in 1994. It was at Westinghouse that she met her husband, Richard “Dick” Merz. They wed in 1956 and settled in St. Clair Shores, where she had resided since 1959. The simplest pleasures brought great joy to Pat. She was an excellent bowler and loved mall walking, dining out, listening to blues music, and watching sports — especially the Detroit Tigers. Extremely generous and thoughtful, Pat always put others before herself. She made friends wherever she went and was known for slipping scratch-off lottery tickets into the many greeting cards she sent. Pat was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dick, and her younger sister, Kirsten Detken. She will be greatly missed by her niece Rebecca Detken (Shannon Woodly), brother-in-law Lothar Detken, longtime companion Tom Bahorski, and many cousins, as well as the Zdankiewicz clan (Steve, Annie, Greg, Grace, Avery and Lilly), who were like a second family. Family and friends will gather to honor her at a later date. Those wishing to honor Pat may make a donation to their favorite charity in her memory.