Herbert J. Merrill Jr. (Big John) passed away in his home on Saturday, January 12th 2013. John was born in Kingsburg, CA on March 7th 1922 to Bessie and Herbert Merrill. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Gail Merrill, sister Pauline Merrill, and his wife Mary Merrill. John served in the US Navy during WWII. After the war he was a professional musician and played the fiddle with the ?Luke Wills Band?. John then began a 37 career in law enforcement. He was on the San Diego Co. Sheriff's department then retired from the Chula Vista Police Dept. after 15 years. John and his wife Mary moved to Washington in 1963 where he went to work for the Skagit County Sheriffs Dept. for 20 years. John had many hobbies, classical music, bird watching, playing cribbage, and a collector of all sorts of things. John loved God, the world around him, and all of his friends, and he expressed his thankfulness for them every day. During John's life he was a friend to many and he will never be forgotten!